Mother Sparkler

Tommy got home on the later side tonight. Natalie and I couldn’t wait to tell him about our day. I helped Natalie get started.

“Natalie, tell Daddy what we saw on the way to the Y today.”

Natalie takes a deep breath, “Natalie saw f&#kers today, Daddy!”

Pause. What was that?

“She’s telling you about the sparklers she saw today,” I said grinning.

We spotted these blue and silver sparklers on the side on the side of road on our way to the YMCA. She asked me ‘What these called, Mommy?” And sparklers was the first word that came to mind. I should have called them Streamers or Shredded Pom Poms of Metallic Plastic. (No one ever tells you you have to be a walking thesaurus and be able to give the most accurate, yet simplified word/definition of everything your child sees.) I giggled all the way to the Y. I even warned the nice college girls in the child watch that if they hear something that sounds concerning, it’s sparklers.

I love how our children (well just Natalie for now, but Emmett soon enough) bring out the kid in us. Or, in this instance, the immature teenager. With every embarrassing comment or poor pronunciation, I have learned more and more to laugh and shrug it off. Another example, Christmas mass, I’m holding Natalie and she looks at me with this big sweet smile and puts her hand on my chest, (I’m thinking, oh sweet gesture) then she shouts, “Mommy’s boobie!” Right as the music stopped. Gloria, Gloria!! Let’s keep singing.

To anyone who believes that there is a definite state of maturity or grown –upness that must be reached in order to have children, stop looking. There is no aha moment of “I’ve arrived, I’m mature” because the funny thing is, your children will bring back the kid in you anyway. And its so much fun being a kid again. Just be ready to love like you have never loved before and they will teach you the rest.

For a long time I felt like I had to reach a state like the one I’m talking about. Sometimes I still think there will be a moment when I am officially considered an adult. As if being married almost five years and having two kids weren’t enough. But I’ve learned that what I incorrectly define as me being an adult has more to do with how I am portrayed by others and what milestones society defines as adult (job, age, finances, house, car, mom haircut, mom jeans, etc) than how I feel inside. And, if that’s the case, I have a ways to go. Tuesday, I was checking out at Wal-mart and the woman at the register called me sweetie probably four times. I wanted to offer her the suggestion not to call another woman with two kids in her cart sweetie. Last year, when I only had Natalie a man in the grocery store said to me, “What’s with babies having babies?” As much as our society loves looking youthful shouldn’t I be applauded for being 28 (next month), having two kids and still looking like a teenager? Haha.

Tommy and I have so much fun laughing together at ourselves and our kids. And its these moments that we will remember and laugh about at her graduation, wedding day, etc. I also think these are the moments that Tommy and I will remember and laugh about and connect over when it’s just us and the kids are grown.

Other words to avoid are Fox (use wolf) and the phrase, “Oh, sick” (just say gross).