Friday, February 13, 2009

The Things Moms Know

I overheard a conversation a day or two ago. Who knows what I was doing... maybe trying to decide for the thousandth time this week who the pair of socks I just picked up belonged to. And better yet, whether or not they'd been worn long enough to be declared dirty, or should they be re-folded and put back into the clean basket. Or maybe I was chasing a kid with a lotion bottle, or maybe I was running from one end of the house to another with no real purpose at all. Trying to remember what it was I walked back there for.

Nevertheless, I was within ear shot of Blessing and her daddy. She was declaring to him that she needed to play with the snow whites. Perplexed, her daddy had allowed her to pull him by his pinky finger, as she pleaded all along the way for the snow whites. She led him to a closet where we keep books, puzzles, and lots of keep-em-busies. She stood there, pointing, jumping, and growing more and more irritated with sweet daddy because he had no clue what the snow whites were.

Shameless and rude, maybe, but though I knew right away what she wanted I reveled in the fact that I knew, and he didn't. Let him struggle for awhile, right? Swooping in to save the day at the perfect moment, I leisurely walked by and ever so cleverly and not at all in a I-know-everything kind of voice said, "She wants the lite brites, honey."

All that to say... It really is wonderful to know my kids so well. To have the honor (which, by the way, I have the honor because of my husband, this is not meant to somehow bash what he doesn't know) of being with my children, and knowing that "snow whites" really means "lite brites". And that only this blanket will do. To add more peanut butter than honey on this one's sandwich and not to give that one more than one helping of grapes...unless you want to spend the afternoon in the bathroom with her. I know that face means she's guilty, and that one means her day hasn't been great and she needs warm cookies and milk and an sympathetic ear. And while I certainly don't know everything, isn't is phenomenal how moms can go on for hours with examples like this? And that there really isn't anyone else in the world who knows that much about our little ones?

9 comments:

Lisa said...

I hadn't thought of it like that so thanks for sharing. It's so true. I'm so grateful that I do know those things and have the opportunity to know them.

You're an Awesome Mom!
Happy Valentine's Day!

The Accidental Mommy said...

It is all in the perspective. See, you could say you were giving him the opportunity to share a part of the Moming experience by noting the childs nuances and interpreting on his own so that the next time, he will know what is what. Thats not rude!

Anonymous said...

too funny. and don't be makin' a pregnant gal cry too often... not good for the sinuses, ya know?

kh

Mom of these kids said...

I totally agree. I think about how neat that is too. Even with our dad around all the time, I would still know little things like that he didn't. That is one of the things that makes me really sad if our baby leaves us.

Melissa Stover said...

i somehow missed this new design. it's so pretty.

Laura said...

Yes, and I love it too - Though I don't often take the time to reflect on it that way. Thanks for helping me do that today! :)

Elizabeth said...

I'm amused at the things I know about my kids that no one else does, sometimes not even their dad. But then occasionally he'll surprise me and actually know something I don't know, and of course it irks me and makes me happy at the same time. I do love that he knows all the baby's words as well as the rest of us.

Anonymous said...

ooh, so true!!

and i love it!

when i was an early twenty-something (with no babies of my own) and worked at a day care in the 18-36 month old class i marveled at the parents who couldn't understand their toddlers and i would translate for them. i, after all, had them for 9 of their waking hours. it was sad to me, even then. i'm so blessed too be able to be with my babies!

glitzen said...

That is so cute! Snow whites. I hope you write that memory down. I am with you, I love that we know our children in and out. Its one of the reasons I homeschool, I don't want to trust their hearts and minds to anybody just yet.