Apologies.

Now I am understanding what my mother went through for the last nineteen years.  Karma has come back to bite me, even before having my own children.

This post should really starts with a story from almost three years ago.

At age sixteen, I was a nanny for a family of four children, between the ages of one and ten.  For a little more than two weeks, at the beginning of August, I worked between ten and sixteen hours a day.  I cooked meals, played games, cleaned house, settled fights, and played 'mom' to my little ones.  Even when my work day was technically over, I couldn't turn nanny mode off.  I slept on a pull out couch in the living room, and almost every night that twin-ish sized bed was full of me and three little girls.  Coincidence that all three girls had nightmares every night and had to sleep in my bed? I think not.

During the course of the vacation, I realized what a terrible child I used to be.  When I asked the older girls to help me with some of the daily chores like; bringing me the dirty dishes, folding blankets, putting away clothes, and picking up Cheerios that the one year old spilled in his last temper tantrum, I was met with whines and groans.  Worse was not getting a response at all.  After asking four times, usually I would give up and do it myself.  Honestly, the youngest was the most helpful. He seemed to be genuinely happy to help me throw trash away and move all the shoes from one side of the living room to the other.  (Useful, not terribly.  Adorable, always).  One day, after a particularly long and frustrating day I found myself saying some of the same things that my mother used to repeat to me.
"You need to respond when you hear me."
"Pause the movie and do what I asked, the movie will be there when you come back."
"You are watching Barbie; FairyTopia... it doesn't have commercials... Clean your room now! 

Bringing this story to more recent events.

I have been living in my apartment with two roommates for about two-ish months.  To say I am the mother of the group is a bit of an understatement.  Granted I don't have to get the girls dressed and help them brush their teeth every morning, but sometimes I still open my mouth and my mother comes out.
"Hailee you aren't allowed to keep the sun as a pet."
"Stop throwing coasters at the cat!"
"If you two don't stop squawking, you aren't getting dinner tonight.  You aren't peacocks you are humans!"
"Alright, give me the Nerf guns, you have abused each other enough for one day."
"Turn off the TV, we are having dinner!"

Today after a very long day at school, I looked at my mile long to-do list and just wanted to sit a weep for a while.  Cleaning, laundry, dinner, grocery shopping, menu planning, homework, blog writing, and entertaining a guest!  All while my roommates headed out to a movie, with said guest, before coming home wanting dinner.

Such is my life!

So today, I realized that all those little things I did to irritate my mom when I was a kid, came back to bite me in the butt.

So Mom, this is for you. I love you and I am so, so sorry!

-Lauren