Parenthood is…

Tonight was the premiere of Parenthood on NBC. I had seen several of the commercials for this new show – and I had planned on watching it. This morning, I came down with what I suspect to be a mild case of the flu. Swine or otherwise, I felt absolutely miserable and spent most of my day on the couch.

Fortunately, at the start of the show, my Motrin kicked in and I was up and ready to watch.

The show took me through a wide range of emotions – I laughed, I cried…I felt despair and anguish. I couldn’t help but imagine my future with Rosie & RJ and wonder what bumps we would face. I have these two little children who are as close to perfect as you can get – but someday these angels will be teenagers. Where will that take us? Will my future Olympic hockey player decide to play soccer instead? Or dance? What if RJ decides that basketball is his thing? Will we become basketball fans?

So these questions ran through my flu-fogged brain as I watched Parenthood. And then I started to think about my day – I woke up feeling fairly miserable and got worse as the day went on. RJ cooperated with me beautifully and took two naps, during which time I napped as well. Rosie, who had no interest in napping, sat in bed with me during my first nap and watched Sesame Street while holding my hand. During my second nap – on the couch – she sat on the arm of the couch and stroked my hair while she watched Shrek. Any time I moved I would hear her say “it’s OK, Mommy – go back to sleep.” She did her best to keep me sleeping until RJ woke up – and which point she nudged me awake and said “Mommy, I’m sorry to wake you, but I think I hear RJ and he is calling for you.”

As I sat huddled on the couch underneath several blankets and a heating pad, I couldn’t help but marvel at the wonderful children before me. I watched them play together, care for each other and care for me. Rosie would get up and get RJ more water – RJ would come over every few minutes to give me one of his wet and sloppy kisses. Rosie would sporadically shout “hey Mom – I love you!” Both kids came over just to give me hugs many times.

So – what is parenthood? Parenthood is worrying over your son’s bowed legs and inward-turned toes. Parenthood is explaining to your three-year-old daughter that it is not OK to hit, ever, even if someone hit her first. Parenthood is crying to yourself over the seemingly harsh punishment you just dealt out because you couldn’t let your kid see you sweat and you knew it was for the best. Parenthood is losing sleep and laughing so hard you nearly pee yourself. Parenthood is being proud of the smile lines on your face. Parenthood is completely giving of yourself for someone else without even realizing it.

Most importantly – parenthood is the most wild and most amazing ride you could ever have the pleasure of being on. To my wonderful Rosie girl and my sweet RJ – I didn’t know how much I was missing until you both came into my life. There is nothing more wonderful than being your mom and there is no place I would rather be than with you.

Look Who’s Talking Now!

I have said for months now that I didn’t think my little man was going to speak until at least his third birthday. Although he is an excellent communicator, his only consistent word thus far has been “Mama.” He uses “Mama” for everything – to call me, to call his sister, to call various family members and friends, to ask for milk, to direct us where to take him, to ask to be picked up…it has been a multi-purpose word. This week, however, things started to change.

I noticed over last weekend that he had begun to consistently put sounds together. On Sunday, he told me he wanted to go “nigh-nigh” while pointing upstairs. So I took him upstairs for a nap…and he was happy. On Wednesday, he called Miss Carrie “Mom.” She said “I’m not your Mom. I’m Miss Carrie. Can you say Carrie?” He said “Caca.” (He apparently thinks she is the shit!) Instead of signing “please” like I have been trying to teach him, he’s been saying “puh” when I tell him to say please. But the best verbal request happened earlier today.

When Rosie woke up from her nap she requested cuddle time with a movie. So I dropped what I was doing and we put on Shrek and snuggled under a blanket. About 30 minutes into the movie, we hear RJ. I bring him downstairs and he is excited to see his sister – but he also clapped his hands that Shrek was on TV. We watched for a few more minutes before leaving the house to get Miss Kimmie.

Upon our arrival at home, I plopped RJ down on the ottoman in front of the TV. He looked at me, made the sign for “more,” pointed at the TV and very clearly sad “Shre!” So I said to him, “you want to watch Shrek?” And he very loudly shouted “Shre!” again. So, we watched Shrek.
Later on, upon coming home from a Target run, he met me at the door and was very excited. He took me up the hand and led me over to the refrigerator. He lifted his arms for me to pick him up – so I did – and he pointed at his birth announcement on the fridge and said “be be.” My goodness – that certainly is a baby! Just to make sure it wasn’t a fluke, I made him say it another 25 times to both me and his Dad. Verdict – he not only knows what a baby is…but he knows how to say it!

The Naked Butt Problem

You really never know what is going to pop out of Rosie’s mouth. She sometimes busts out with words that are bigger than she is…or memories that are half of her little life ago…and sometimes she just makes you laugh so hard, you cry. Tonight was one of those nights.

She refused to take a nap for me this afternoon and then fell asleep in the car ride to Target. After a smooth transfer to her stroller, she slept through the entire visit until after my groceries had been paid for and bagged. After putting her back into her car seat, she started to complain that the seat was “bothering” her – but couldn’t tell me what was actually wrong. Since I was driving, I told her it would have to wait until we got home.

Miss Dani pulled in the driveway right behind us, so the uncomfortable car seat was long forgotten and both kids stayed in their seats until we arrived at the gym to drop them off for date night. Upon pulling into the parking lot, Rosie shouts “uh-oh! Mom! We have a BUTT PROBLEM!” A butt problem? So I ask her – a butt problem? “Yup. We have a BUTT PROBLEM. A NAKED BUTT PROBLEM.”

Now I’m looking around the parking lot and I’m thinking that stranger things have happened in Baltimore County than a naked butt strolling around the parking lot when it’s 35 degrees outside. So I ask – “Where do you see a naked butt, Rosie?” “We have a NAKED BUTT PROBLEM Mom!! A NAKED BUTT PROBLEM!” Dani and I are now chuckling to ourselves over the hyper-active imagination of this little 3-year-old. I park and we start to unload the kids.
That is when we realized that we had a legitimate NAKED BUTT PROBLEM. Somehow, Rosie’s tights and underwear had slid down right of her tiny little rear-end and her sweater dress and gotten tucked under her coat. There was my little girl – mooning the entire parking lot and Bel Air Road.

I am happy to report that Miss Dani fixed the NAKED BUTT PROBLEM by pulling up her underwear and tights and pulling down her sweater. Rosie had no additional butt complaints.