"Owen, what happened out there?" I asked, after giving him some time to cool down.
"I got angry with you because I don't want to go inside," he replied, not looking me in the eye, fiddling with the button on my cardigan.
I paused and considered my response, "Do you get angry when your teacher tells you it's time to go inside?"
"No," he responded, as if I had asked him if he had shoes growing out of his ears, "I just go inside!"
"Ah," I said, "So why do you listen to Miss Dot but you don't listen to your mother?"
He smiled, "Oh! That's because I like Miss Dot better than you."
***
Joel's language is slowly developing. He'll say a handful of words, although his favorites include: "cracker," "dog," "chicken," and "Dada." He understands everything we say perfectly.
Yet, when I say, "Joely, say 'Mama'" he shakes his head so violently that I fear it will fall off.
He refuses to say my name. And, then, he laughs in my face. Little bugger.
These small indignities pass, and I need to recognize that my children are so comfortable with me that they can revel in my love even in the midst of their jackassery. They know that they are cherished more than the stars and the sea. They know.
***
Yesterday, Owen asked, "Is my president George Washington?"
"No, honey," I replied.
He sat for a moment and asked, "Is my president Barack Obama?"
"That's right, sweetie," I replied.
He thought for another beat, then said, "He's always with me, all the time."
I laughed. "No, honey. I think you're getting him mixed up with Jesus."
"Oh," he said. "Jesus stands in trees and goes pee-pee."
"Right," I said. "Obama goes pee-pee in the potty."
"Thanks, Mommy." He said, "Now I understand."
Perhaps this moment alone is worth the small indignities.
19 comments:
I got some great laughs from this post! I loved how you handled the "coming inside" issue, even if you got a "little bugger" answer. But the Obama/Jesus one is hysterical. However, are we SURE Obama goes pee-pee in the potty? Well, I guess if there WAS a president who was likely to pee out of a tree, it probaby would have been Bush :-)
I think many people confuse Obama with Jesus...Owen is not alone! This made me laugh hysterically, then sigh, "Oh...boys!"
I love this: "my children are so comfortable with me that they can revel in my love even in the midst of their jackassery." Perfectly put.
Glad he understands the difference between Obama and Jesus now and good to know that it's Jesus that pees from trees........humph!
That's funny!
LOL!
My first graders come in when I call them but I can't get MY OWN 2nd grader to come inside for the life of me.
We can guarantee a meltdown every time I ask tell the children it is time to go in. The oldest 5 participate in the wailing every time.
Jesus pees from trees? What church do you go to? 'Cause I'd like to go to that Sunday School lesson.
This was a wonderful post.
OH! Hahaha. I laughed so hard the entire bed shook. Jesus stands in trees and goes pee-pee. And Obama uses the potty. Hahahaha.
Gold.
"they can revel in my love even in the midst of their jackassery." sheer poetry!
Thank you for the laugh! It was so nice!
And Angelo told me I'm so huge I'm like a giant. He wants to have giant arms and a big strong belly fully of muscle like me some day.
He's fired!
Awesome post! Made me laugh. The boys have just enough sass in them... I wonder where they got it :)
Owen's confusion reminded me of my husband who - as a little boy - drew a picture of a bunny in a coffin. It was the merging imagery of the Easter Bunny and the resurrection. He turned out okay, though :)
I am cracking up! You should soooo email this to the White House!
LOL Kids do say the sweetest things. Perhaps he has a future in stand up?
Hilarious post! I am still scratching my head over the little one's image of Jesus standing up in trees and going pee pee. Was that covered in the New Testament? :-D
I especially love this line: "I need to recognize that my children are so comfortable with me that they can revel in my love even in the midst of their jackassery. They know that they are cherished more than the stars and the sea. They know."
You're a terrific writer. Rock on!
Brilliant!
I love all this.
Made me smile and smile and smirk.
At least Joel is not calling you a cracker.
"I like Miss Dot better than you." Gotta just love them don't ya?
I think it's a boy thing. They really love to mess with Mommy. At least mine do. ALL FOUR OF THEM. I include the hubs in there. He is just an overgrown boy.
Holy cow, I am cracking up at those boys and their jackassery!!
Obama goes pee-pee in the potty? Well aren't we first world...
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