Am I big yet?

As a parent I try to teach my kids what is appropriate to say and what is not. For example, I taught my kids that "stupid" is a naughty word. Now, whenever I mention this word I am very sternly reminded that its naughty to say it. Or if they hear it on a movie they have a two minute discussion between themselves as to who said it and why it shouldn't have been said. Sometimes they even "tattle" to me as if I can change the script or put the Disney character in time out. I am well aware now just how many times I utter that silly word thanks to my children and in return for teaching them, I am taught. This same sinario plays out for any of the words I've taught them not to use.

Sometimes I'm simply amazed at the things they do say. They come up with things that are far beyond what I think they know. One day Shayne and Gabriel had a discussion on getting bigger. Shayne said that when she gets bigger she'll be a mommy like me. I told her thats right, after your married. She tells me that then she'll be a mommy and a wife! (Now, she's getting all excited about the fact, maybe I make it look glamorous? Nah, that can't be it.) Then Gabe wants to join in, so he tells me that he'll be a daddy someday too. So I stop sweeping the floor and face my kids and talk to them about them being grown up. I tell them that one day (a very long time from now) they will get married. Then Shayne will have a husband and Gabe will have a wife. It was at this point that they both came to the same conclusion and Gabe asked Shayne to marry him!! Yikes... Not exactly where I was directing things, but adorable in all its innocents.



Gabriel is my big thinker. He has life all figured out as a puzzle that you just have to put the pieces together right and you get what you want. Today he pulled one of the "grown up" movies off the shelf and wanted to watch it. I explained to him repeatedly that he wasn't big enough for a movie like that. Upon his repeated attempts to break my ground, I finally flipped the movie over to show him the rating on the back. "Look Gabriel, it says PG-13 that means that you have to be 13 to watch it." His reply was simply "But I am 13 mom!" After much bantering back and forth about his age I finally gave up took the "because I said so" route and shelved the movie out of his reach.

I could fill up books with the funny things my kids say and I want to be able to remember them one day. I think at the end of each blog post I'll write a post script of anything interesting the kids said that day. Perhaps this will help me hold on to their youth a little longer. I hope they don't get big too fast. I have a feeling the things they say are likely to get less humorous...