You know how it is awkward to hear your own voice when it is played back on a recording? Like, when you are watching a home video and your voice is narrating the scene, and you listen while thinking to yourself, Ugh, stop talking! Yikes. Is that really what I sound like?
Well, how about when you hear yourself played back by one of your children?
Lately Max has been barking orders. His vocabulary is still limited, but he gets his little body in a tough-guy stance and gets all bossy and makes commands like, "Sissy, don' do dat! Stop! NOW!"
Or "Joe-Joe, wet me pway wiff 'or Wegos! NOW!"
Or "Mama, I wan' some 'ogurt! NOW!"
The "NOW!" is its own sentence. It has a gruff sound that rolls off the roof of the mouth with the "N", and the "OW" is hissed through gritted teeth. "NOW!" is spoken a bit louder than the preceding words, but never shouted. And it truly is barked. If your hand gets too close to his mouth when the "NOW!" is released, you might lose a finger.
I've been hearing Max use this roaring command, and I'd wondered when he'd become so bossy, but this morning I payed close attention while he was giving Lucy a piece of his mind, and just like hearing my own voice on a recording, I recognized myself in way he delivered the "NOW!"
Yikes. Is that really what I sound like?
Several moments flashed through my mind.
"Max! Get down from there! NOW!"
"Lucy! Clean up this mess! NOW!"
"Joe! Change your attitude! NOW!"
Yep, he learned it from me. I'm certain.
What surprised me the most wasn't to see how aggressively the word jumps out of the mouth or to see how perfectly Max imitates my delivery of the word, but rather I was surprised to see how much effort goes forth into one tiny word only to be completely ineffective! The kids don't obey any faster (if at all) when I end my motherly instructions with "NOW!". Max and I get the same results from this word.
So, I'm looking for a new, more effective word that won't be so awkward when I see it played back by one of my children! Maybe I'll try "please"!
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| Who? Me? Bark at this Lover Boy? Never! |
In other news...
Last night we went to Devon's company's employee picnic at the Everett Aquasox game.
Have I recently declared my love for my husband? I love him. A lot. I love him even though I told him this evening as he was leaving for a softball game that I resent him for getting to do fun things more often than I get to do fun things. This week's score is Devon, 2 fun, kid-free nights out, Annie, 0 fun, kid-free nights out. But, again, I love him!
Joe had a sleep-over last night in a friend's tree house, but they chose to stay awake all night. I don't remember the last time that I pulled an all-nighter by choice. Oh, to be young and foolish... So, he went to bed sometime around 4 o'clock this afternoon and we haven't seen him since!
Max and Lucy are great playmates for each other, but like all siblings, they have their squabbles. I break up fights several times each day. Several = more than ten. More like twenty. I take away toys that they fight over and they sit in time-outs and they hug and apologize and then they do it all over again. But at the end of the day they really are the best of friends. Tonight Lucy was reading books to Bubs (no, she doesn't know how to read), and it was a sweet moment for this mama.
Today was Lucy's half birthday :) She is pretty excited to be 4 1/2.
And deep in the heart of Texas, a special little boy turned 2 today. Happy birthday Everett!
Tell me, do you cringe when you hear your own voice? Tell me! NOW!
7 comments:
Too funny! I used to always ask Olivia "are you coming?" or say "come on Olivia" when I was trying to get her to move along. Now she yells "Mommy COMING. Daddy COMING. Ia COMING" and commands us to go with her everywhere. I really regret teaching her that word...
P.S. Loving that sweet picture of you and Max :)
So I'm not the only one that has taught them something I wish I hadn't!!! I've learned that we are just doing are best and we are learning along with our little sweeties:) You're a great momma!
I love the last line of this post. It made me laugh! I learned that my word is "STOP!" Everett will take his little pointer finger and scold Heidi our dog, "No-No, STOP Heidi!" Whenever he is getting a scolding, he will then turn to the poor well behaved dogs and do the exact same thing to them!
Too funny! Thanks for thinking of E today, and to answer your question I surprisingly did not cry! However our pediatrician told me today that it is time to move him out of his crib even though he is perfectly happy in it. The thought of that makes me cry!
Wait til they makes gestures like yours too :-)
Such a cute pic of you with Loverboy. You both look so happy.
Dev with his little bubs looks pretty happy too.
Love how focused Max is while Lucy is "reading" to him.
You're a great writer, Annie, and a great mom!
"I'll be there in just a minute"
"Wait, just a minute"
"Sure, I'll help, in just a minute"
Yep.
Guilty.
I W-A-Y overuse my minutes and I hear the girls say it and it makes me cringe...double cringe.
At least Max isn't swearing right? Things could be worse ;o)
HAHA! Andrea has a valid point! :) Swearing kids would be a whole other story! :)
I DO cringe when I hear my own voice!!! In fact Tanner caught me over reacting to something on video not too long ago and I wanted to die! To SEE yourself and hear yourself actin' a fool (a little Mr T for ya :)) is not a pretty picture!
Your pictures are adorable as always!!! The bubs is delicious!
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