They Really Do Mirror You

"They" say that kids watch your every move, taking it all in, and will later mimic what you have done. Many parents can attest to this fact, especially when they are in an inopportune place and your child will blurt out a foul word that they only could have heard from you. Or in the instant where they share a personal or sensitive matter with everyone in a 10 foot radius.

Unfortunately, I don't have an embarrassingly funny story to share regarding this, though it would be an even better read. I do, however, have some observations to share as kind of a mental reminder to me.

With any good story, I'll start in the beginning, or this morning in this case. I had gotten Abby off to school, Emma and Jacob were sitting down eating breakfast and Catey was blissfully sitting in her bouncer. I decided that right about then would be a great opportunity to get out my Wii Fit and do some exercising. As I'm working out, the kids are finishing eating, then Emma slowly creeps out of the kitchen and ends up right next to me. I thought she was being a pest or just coming to bother me, so I kept trying to shoo her away. Then I realize, she was "exercising" with me. Trying as hard as she could to mirror the movements she saw her mommy doing. She even got out a block and was holding it in her hand like a Wii remote. I was touched and happy to see that a good habit is hopefully rubbing off on my children!

A little bit later, Jacob was toddling around and goes up to Catey in her seat. At first I thought he was trying hurt her or possibly sit on her head again! Then I quit telling him to get away from her for a minute, just to watch what he's going to do. He carefully bends over, so he doesn't lose his balance, and grabs her pacifier. I thought he was going to steal it for himself, like usual, but again, I refrained from yelling at him for a minute, just to see what he was going to do. He starts trying to put it in Catey's mouth! I eventually had to stop him, because she didn't want it and he was starting to make her mad. I still thought it was so cute he was trying to take care of his baby sister! There maybe hope for this boy after all!!!

What I think is the funniest of all. Abby got her mid year report home from preschool, with the teacher's assessment of how she's doing and what she does in class. It was a great report that totally sounds like everything Abby would do. One comment on it stood out to me the most, "She loves to play 'mom.'" If any of you know my Abby, you know that's exactly what she is at home, little mom. Honestly, I think she'll be one of those that can't wait to start a family, since she's ALWAYS playing "house" and "mom." I just hope she's showing my good sides while she's playing at school and not any of the times when I have to punish them. Not that I'm a horrible tyrant or anything, but we all get a tad embarrassed when we have to discipline in public or when the way you discipline gets repeated to people.

That's just a few examples of things my kids have done that show me they are watching me and they are imitating me. I could really go on, and I did even think of something embarrassing I'll spare you. I know for me, sometimes when reading articles or see someone talking on shows, saying "Your kids watch you and will do what you do", I usually kind of let that roll off my shoulders like "Yeah, sure." When I actually stop and think about it, nothing could be truer!

Appreciation!

Today, my husband, kids and I, went to visit my husband's cousin, wife and family. Their family consists of a 2 year old daughter and 6 month old triplets!!! They are all the cutest things. But being there for the short period of time we were, we got to witness a bit of their daily schedule.

First off, I have to say, I'm very impressed with the fact that they have them on such a good schedule. I'm sure that makes things much easier! Actually, come to think of it, to get through the day, they need them on some kind of schedule. Anyway, watching what they have to go through with 3 infants, very similar to what I go through with 1, got me thinking. Of all the times I've been tired, frustrated, upset, or otherwise having a hard time, seeing what they go through makes me very thankful that I only have 1 baby. I'm not saying I couldn't do it, because faced with that situation, it's not a matter of how, but a matter just doing what you have to do. Kind of like my situation, people ask how, but really it's just doing what you have to do. But, to see how efficient they are on top of having to deal with the babies when their fussy and a crabby toddler, it makes me feel like I have it easy. At least I have space between my kids, and I have 2 that pretty well understand what I say. I think next time I get stressed out, I'm going to try to remember, that I only have 1 infant. One time all the work, one time the getting up, one time the fussing, and just be thankful it is one, that I'm not getting pulled 3 ways. Because in all honesty, knowing you have to divide your time between 3 little babies, would be hard to deal with!

BUGS!!!

I do hate making something like this public, but it was really to funny not to share.

We live in a very old farm house. Like close to 100 years old. As you can imagine, we get all sorts of critters and creepy crawlies in here that we have to constantly combat. Fun stuff, let me tell you.

So today, I was in the living room feeding our youngest, the 2 older girls were playing in their room, and the son was in his bed napping. All of a sudden, I hear Emma, my 2 year old, scream at the top of her lungs. I can hear her start to bawl and scream all at once. I thought she had been seriously injured. I was telling her to come out to the living room, so she could tell me what's wrong. Nothing, in fact, the more I'd ask her to come out, the more she'd scream and cry even harder. I was getting really worried, thinking something was really seriously wrong with her. I laid Catey down on the couch (since her brother was safely put away in his bed!), to which she started to cry, getting interrupted while she was eating.

In the girl's room, I find Emma not in some compromised situation, not bleeding, not bruised, not contorted anyway. No, she was standing in the far corner, her back pressed as close to the wall as humanly possible, still bawling and screaming. Her eyes were fixated on a spot right next to her bed, a look of horror on her face. I was so confused, so I asked her to come to me. She started to move, looked at the spot, shrieked and backed right up against the wall again, bawling even harder. I knew I had to investigate. I made my way through the mess of toys, and climbed on top of her bed, looking in the area that she had kept her eyes on. I didn't see anything but toys and more toys, then I saw something move. That startled me for a second, until my eye focused in on a little bug. ICK! As it moved, Emma freaked out even more.

I had to stop myself from completely doubling over in laughter, as I realized my poor little girl was still crying in fear. I told her to stay where she was and calm down, mommy was going to get the bug. I'm sorry to the PETA people, but this next part would be considered graphic to them. I had Abby run out to the living room to get me a Kleenex, while I was trying to calm Emma down. Abby was very quick and I made haste to catch and squish the bug, making sure Emma saw it all so she wouldn't think I was tricking her. Then I let her watch me take the wadded up Kleenex to the bathroom and flush it down the toilet. Catey was happy when I came back to finish feeding her, after all drama was squashed!

Boy Are A Completely Different Species

I can handle girls, no problem. Girls are something I've taken care of for over 4 years now. They are sweet and lovey, but can be whiny and demanding. They are more lippy than anything, and that I can deal with.

Then there came my boy. I was so overjoyed when I found out I was pregnant with a son, I knew my husband would finally have his boy. Things were great with our boy for the first year. He would get into things and occasionally not listen, but I accredited that with him being a little boy. All of a sudden, I realized he knew what "No" meant, but would do what he wanted anyway. It would annoy me to no end, but it was harmless. Things like pulling all the books out or reaching for things on the coffee table, or at worst, getting into my laptop. He refuses to listen when I'd say "No" unless he knew I meant business. Usually I was easy going enough that unless he was hurting himself or someone or destroying something, I was fine with what he was doing.

One day he really hurt one of my girls. I was used to him pulling around his big sisters, occasionally making them squeal from pulling their hair. But then came the day he figured out how to climb up on the couch. That's been our latest thing of telling him no about. Mainly because he'll hurt himself, but also because he gets into anything we try to put up out of his reach. I had not thought anything about him climbing on the couch when I laid his baby sister down on it for a minute to go make her a bottle. (BTW, I do not lay any of my babies on the couch once they are mobile and rolling, but for this little period where their stationary, I like to keep them up off the floor from their bigger siblings!) Next thing I hear is her crying and then a scream, coming from my little baby girl. I rush into the living room to find that her big brother had climbed up on top of her on the couch and was sitting on her head. I have never wanted to beat my child so much in that minute, but didn't. I flung him to the floor so rescue his little sister. I felt so horrible, I was about in tears from knowing she was in pain. Luckily, he didn't do anything serious to her, I checked her over and over many times, and have yet to see a bruise or worse. Thank God!

Now I know, I have to watch that boy more like a hawk than I did before. I think the worst part is knowing that he knows what "No" means, but he does what he wants regardless. I have to figure out a new approach to getting through to my son, because all the old stand by's just aren't working. Boys are most definitely different than girls, even at a very young age!!!