I'm the Asshole Mom Who Secretly Loved That One Naughty Child

Okay, confession time! I’m a mom to three little ones under five and one of them, let’s call her Lily (she's my youngest), drives me absolutely nuts sometimes. Not in a mean way; she’s just so full of energy that every day feels like a marathon. She’s always touching things she shouldn’t or climbing where she doesn't belong. The other two often come to me with complaints about how Lily won’t share their toys and ruins their playtime. I have to admit, there were days when I felt annoyed by her behavior too, but here’s the kicker: deep down, there's a part of me that secretly loves it. It’s like having this little firecracker running around makes my day feel more exciting somehow. So one day while the other two are at preschool and Lily is with me, I find myself giving her a hard time for coloring on the walls when we’re all home alone. But after she does her usual adorable little puppy eyes and offers to help clean it up, something just clicks in my brain. Why am I so mad? She’s only being herself! Plus, watching her try to reach high enough with that cleaning rag is funny as heck. Here's the crux: I might actually be enjoying this phase a bit too much, even if the other kids aren't. So here comes the confession, in moments when Lily does something mischievous and I start to get frustrated, there’s a part of me that wants her to do more of it so I can keep feeling excited about life. Does anyone else have this odd parental dynamic? Am I just supposed to ignore my weird sense of amusement and be annoyed all the time instead? What do you think is going on in mommy land here? Let me know, fellow parents! 🙃