Losing the Baby Words: No more "Ass"

Isn't it cute how kids mispronounce things when they are little?


My oldest insisted that bananas were "man-ans" for the longest time.  Probably even longer than normal because we started calling them that, too.


My middle son has called bananas "bee- nanas."  Still does. 


My older brother mistook bananas for the word "Batman."  Even to this day, if any of us are making Banana French Toast, we call it "Batman French Toast."


My youngest? He can say banana just fine.


What he couldn't say? Bear's name.


We discovered this when he would come up to us and say "Ass hit me."


WHAT? "ASS" hit him?


Whose language was he imitating?


You know, since I'd never cuss and neither would my husband.


"Who hit you, honey?"


He jabbed a finger in the direction of my 4 year-old and says "Ass! Ass hit me!"


Poor little guy got zero sympathy, because I was too busy laughing.


"Ass! Ass!" he'd yell across the playground, calling to his brother.  Heads would turn toward me, appalled expressions on the faces of the playground mafia.


Every time he would tell on his brother, telling us something "Ass" did, oh, how Hubs and I laugh.


And then, suddenly, one day, he could say his brother's name.


It's sad when they outgrow their baby words. Though, it wouldn't surprise me if he started calling his brothers "ass" again when they are all teenagers.


I don't think I'll be laughing then.


What words did your children mispronounce?

Shovels and Brotherly Love/Violence

Sooo....

You know how last week, I was telling you all the odd things that I was screaming at my boys?

Two of them being:

Don't hit your brother with a shovel!

and

Stop hitting your brother with a shovel!

And then I reassured you that they were made of plastic.

What I neglected to tell you is just how big those plastic shovels are.

Here's Bear, showing them off on Christmas morning:

What was Santa thinking????


Now, my boys do love each other.

But, they also love to beat up on each other.

They actually are very good at not hurting any other kids, just their brothers.

Well, unless they are just retaliating, but that's another story.

Last summer, we were over at a friend's house for a playdate.

Quite a few families.

But, all of them either had just one child or they had girls.

So, maybe it's a boy thing.

Or maybe it's just my kids- though I doubt it, since I see this with other families that have lots of boys, so I'm going with "it's a boy thing."

I stepped inside for something- probably to change Cub's diaper, since I know I had him with me inside.

When I came back out, Monkey and Bear were fighting.

They were wrestling, rolling around on the ground, and hitting each other.

I'd definitely seen worse.

The other moms were sort of staring at them, mouths hanging open.

"I didn't know what to do."

"They're going to hurt each other!"

But, I just looked at them and said, "Oh, they're fine."

And tried to change the subject.

I got looks of disbelief.

And many comments about how they would break it up if they were their kids, wasn't I worried, they couldn't believe my kids were acting like that, and on and on.

But, I have come to accept that I cannot break up every little fight that my boys have.

If they are doing something where they can really get hurt, I'll step in.

No biting allowed, I'll stop that.

If it's not just them, but other kids, absolutely, I'll step in.

Or even if they are just too close to other kids while they're fighting, I'll stop it.

Or just have them move away from others.

We DO talk about how we shouldn't hurt each other.

How it's mean and hurtful and we don't want to be the type of people who would do things like that.

They know that they want to have friends and they know that they can't do that to other kids if they want to have friends.

And how they love each other and ways that they can show that to each other.

But, I think that brothers are going to fight.

And sometimes, you have to let them fight it out.

You might feel differently and break up every single fight that your kids have. I applaud you for your fabulous dedication and wonder how on earth you manage to be able to do that.

But, as for me, occasionally, I let my boys fight it out.

Just not with these shovels.

One Sweet Moment

My two oldest boys tend to beat the snot out of each other.

They hit, punch, karate-chop, kick, jump on, pinch, and even occasionally bite each other.

It doesn't even take any sort of provocation.

One can be sitting there, quietly playing and the other will attack.

Boys.

Or, rather: brothers. Since they don't do this with their friends, only with each other.

Unless there is bloodshed, I tend to let them resolve it themselves.

I can't step in every single time they do something to one another(um, except for the biting).

But, this morning, I came downstairs with Cub to find Monkey and Bear cuddled up on the couch together.

Bear, lying with his head on Monkey's shoulder.

So cute.

And then Monkey said, "I love you, Little Bear."(Bear's full name, you know)

And Bear replied, "I lub you, too, Monkey."

I wish I'd had my camera, or actually, my video camera, so that I could watch it over and over again during all the times that it appears they are trying to kill one another.