As our children get older, it’s interesting to hear them talk more. It goes from learning words, to sentences, to actual random thoughts in their mind. And that’s where things get interesting. I start to hear about dreams they have about a mama dinosaur that their brother is afraid of but it’s really just “a nice dinosaur because it’s nice.”
I’ve also learned you really can’t take anything personal with kids. I was prepared for them to tell me they hated me, because I think that’s a normal part of growing up. That doesn’t phase me. Even saying that I’m the meanest mama ever and that I never let them do anything doesn’t phase me. (Sometimes they’re right!). It’s the specific ones that I think about days or weeks later. The ones that come out of no where.
I haven’t gone shopping in.. years. Young kids plus a pandemic plus my body size and shape changing - I don’t even know where to start. I don’t know what size I am, I don’t know what store to shop in, so I just haven’t. But in a bid to slowly start getting new things, I ordered a few shirts online. Cheap shirts in case they didn’t fit or I didn’t like them, but mostly I bought them because they weren’t black. I feel like I’ve been wearing a lot of black lately.
When they got here, I wasn’t sure. Maybe just because they’re so different from what I’ve been wearing, but I put one on anyway. The kids noticed immediately, of course. The baby was grabbing at it, and I made a comment like, “Oh look, she must like my shirt!” to which another child immediately commented “No one likes your shirt.”
The other thing I hear a lot lately is “No one is even taking care of me!” Which is funny, because I was pretty sure that’s all we do with every waking hour we have, but apparently not. I’m sure it is hard to be one of three children in this house, but I assure you that they are all fed and clothed and have toys and extra curriculars and vacations. Still one morning after cooking everyone a different breakfast and serving them all I got “Mama! You didn’t cool down my egg! What? No one is even taking care of me!”
It’s so fun being a parent.
