Tomato Frog

Lu says that I look like a tomato frog when I get mad. 

But today Lu was the one who got red-faced mad. 

I was being my usual paranoid over-protective self, Cha was being his usual talking-too-much-needs-to-listen self, and Lu was frustrated to angry tears with both of us.

I could have continued arguing, but instead, and without much thought, it just came to me to say this:

Mi pobre hijo... una mamá loca y un papá dolor-de-culo.

Qué dificil... pero sabes que te amamos.

translation:

My poor son... a crazy mom and a pain-in-the-ass dad. 

It must be tough... but you know we love you.

He paused, not sure if he'd heard me right... and then he giggled a bit. Then I giggled. Then we both pretty much fell to the floor laughing. We went to do our Saturday market shopping and kept on laughing the whole way there and back. It was funny. It needed to be said. And with it, this:

We are going to make your life impossible sometimes, as you sometimes make ours. But we love each other and give each other the benefit of the doubt, because we trust each other. We're not perfect parents, and we're sorry for that, but we are who we are, and you get what you get. Such is life.

He was especially sweet and easy-going the rest of the day. He's 9yo you know, so there's lots of drama and tween hormones going on these days - not at all like my uncomplicated 8yo of last year. He knows that he makes my life difficult sometimes, and he needed to hear me say that I know it's sometimes difficult to be my son - as it is sometimes difficult to be anyone's son, because no one is perfect.