Thursday, February 21, 2008

Wook! Maw-sit!

The mind of a child is a curious thing. I thought that I understood kids very well but that was before I hatched two of them. I feel like learning about your kids can wear you out and frustrate you. Parents, ever heard this?

"Wook! Maw-sit!"
"What was that Ben? look at what?"
"Maw-sit"
"I don't understand"
"Maw-sit"
"Mom sit?"
"MAW-SIT" (jabs finger into stuffed monster)
"Ohhhhh, monster. Yes Ben that is a nice monster"

Note to Mommy, maw-sit equals monster. I do this daily, learn new words in Ben-ese. If I didn't do it, almost nobody would understand him and how frustrating would that be for Ben? This is my job folks. I interpret made up languages, change poopy diapers, force-feed veggies even if I have to puree them, comfort hurt and sick babies and save the world* on a daily basis.
*Saving the world often means finding a favorite lost toy.


I don't honestly feel that I could be the best mom for Ben if I didn't understand that the word for snack is "nat" or that he is calmed down during a tantrum by chewing on a soggy brown blanket fondly named "Yucky." And that's another thing. Ben names things. His Blankets are "yucky" and "cozy". The stuffed animals are "Zaz" the moose, "Kimmit"the penguin, "Sero" the monkey and "Ginger" the horse. Names are important to him.

Gemma is another story all together. She is so different from Ben. Of course she is only two and a half months old but I already know so much about her. She only fusses when she wants something. Usually it's food, a new diaper or a nap but lately she has started fussing when she feels lonely. This is a new thing for me. If any of you know Ben he is very independent. He never wants to cuddle, he plays by himself most of the time and for a while if I tried to feed him he would refuse to eat unless he put the food in his mouth by himself. But, Gemma loves people. She thrives when she is being held and cuddled and looked at. She will actually sleep in my arms, a rare occurrence for Ben even when he was first born.

I can't even imagine what it would be like to spend all day away from my babies and expect to know a scrap of insightful info about them. Thank God for stay-at-home mom-ism!