For those of you who follow along in the comments on this blog, you know that there have been a few comments that have ruffled feathers. And while Katie has decided it doesn't justify a response, I do. You bet your bum (really stretching here to keep it clean, but I know that Katie's is a family blog...unlike my own) I'm going to stick up for her and get snarky when Katie gets harsh criticism.

She's been my best friend for a quarter of a century. I will kung fu, whether verbally or physically, the butts of the people who decide to criticize her when she has her less than perfect days, but NEVER celebrate the good things that she posts about. Many people have said that they keep reading here because they find Katie refreshingly honest about the highs and lows of parenting. And you know what? She is. She's about as real as you can get. Is she perfect? Absolutely not. Neither am I, nor is anyone else who decides to throw stones, all the while never revealing the path to their own glass house.

And the criticism of those who decide to "call it like it is," would be, albeit a bitter pill to swallow, much more thought about if those same people were to pat Katie on the back when she does something awesome like sew Christmas dresses for the girls or make rice krispie treat eyeballs at Halloween. If you care enough about Katie's kids to want to shelter them from a mother's natural frustration of managing a large family of stair-step kids, then care enough about her kids to wish Kelly a happy birthday. Or tell the twins what wonderful young women they're becoming. But you know what? Life's not perfect, folks.

I say ad nauseum that being a parent makes your heart burst with love and pride for your children in one second, and in the next, you totally get why rodents eat their young. Life is just like that. And if you don't feel that it is, then surely to all that is good and holy, share your flipping secret and let us have a peek into your world! Because there wouldn't be one of us who wouldn't want a perfect little life with perfect little kids who never fight, argue, or do any of the multitude of annoying things kids do!

And another thing? Blogs only tell the part of the story that the author wants to share at that current juncture. If you read much further into a situation based on ONLY the words you read on a blog, you are simply obtuse. Because, even though you might only see Katie's verbal frustrations, you will NEVER get to see when Katie snuggles Kelly on her lap. Or teasingly chases Zach away from the raw cookie dough. I'M fortunate enough to see that side of her. Katie's one of the most caring, honest, loving, and REAL people I know. And she's an awesome mom. Doing what all of us are doing. Trying to play the best game with the cards we've been dealt. So if you can't say anything nice, just move along. You can find 50 things to do with your kids in the summer on another parenting site.