Watch Your Mouth

I'm always telling the kids to watch what they say and do around the babies. That the small kids watch everything they do and want to be just like them....I'm thinking small stuff right now you know...like

no climbing on the counters to get something..

no sitting on top of the counters...get a chair..

no jumping on the furniture...

no putting your hands on the wall...(which the kids don't understand...but I try to remind them even clean hands can leave a mark...deep sigh)

the list could really go on.

That list also applies to our language. There are certain words in the home that are not allowed...some being the obvious. But another one is SHUT UP. Not allowed. There are kinder ways of asking for someone to be quiet. The kids (meaning the oldest) tells the dog to Shut up often...and he's met with an evil eye. The other day he 'accidentally ' yelled for the dog to shut up....what did I then immediately hear from Lily? Yep, she's yelling at Moses to Shut up. I was pretty upset. Again I reminded the big kids they are little adults to Lily and she will watch and say what they do to be like them.

Enter in MOM (points to self)

I think I talk to myself a lot. No, I'm not crazy...just thinking out loud. Give me a break...I've got 5 kids and a house to run and I'm constantly making lists to keep on top of things (note to self...the laundry is calling you)

Scene with me and hubs

me: mumble mumble mumble

hubs: "what honey"

me: "nothing...I'm talking to myself"

hubs: "well what did you tell yourself?"

(now I can either tell him what is going on inside my brain...which usually scares him...or say never mind"

me: "Never mind"

hubs: "Well then don't get mad when I ignore you when you mumble b/c I can never tell if you are going crazy again or telling me something"

(I'm not going crazy...not yet)

I talk to Reid...often. The kids always ask why I do this since he can't talk back and I explain...it's how one learns to communicate. It's like if we went into a foreign country and didn't speak the language...the only way to learn is to listen and try to interact.

I forget that Lily hears me chatting with Dude from time to time...

In our house we use the correct name for body parts....If Lily asks...then of course I tell her. Her body hadn't been much of an issue until Reid was born. They take baths together and she still can't understand why he has different parts than her.

I was changing Dude's diaper and noticed his diaper had wood chips in it (probably from the playground) and so I'm talking to him saying something like "ohhh crazy boy...there's wood chips in your diaper.....that's so funny....here let me check and make sure none got on your penis (ohhhh gasp I said the word) b/c that would hurt if one poked you"

Lily starts shouting..."Penis Penis....I want a Penis...Penis Penis...I want a Penis" (deep sigh)

Yep...now I started it....Lily wants what she can't have.....(grins)

I choose to ignore her b/c drawing attention only makes little toddlers want to keep saying it.

I do notice how the big kids point at me and remind me in their fake mom voice...."mom be careful what you say...she repeats everything"

Thanks kids....as if I need reminding.