The challenge of raising strong girls is that they often try out their opinions on their mothers.
Vivian is now six-years-old. By all accounts (or at least according to her teachers), she is turning out okay: kind, strong, and a leader. Most of the time, she composes heartfelt notes and detailed drawings. But there are other times when she tries to be funny.
I hope she was trying to be funny when she wrote this on our fridge calendar two days ago:
In addition to being saucy funny, she is also clever and opinionated, which means she can spot flaws in my logic faster than Justin Bieber can tweet.
Take this example. It’s after school, and Vivian meanders into the living room to inspect William’s latest invention: a Lego robot that cleans houses (I have yet to see it in action). I look over and see her wielding a cheese stick like a sword.
“Vivian,” I say, “get your cheese stick out of the living room.” She moseys over to the dining room, shredding her snack into a Weeping Willow.
I continue the task of unpacking their lunches, disposing of composting apple cores, and sorting out Tupperware containers and lids (a matching task that rivals sorting socks into pairs). Finally, I finish shoving the containers onto the dishwasher’s top rack. I boil water, miraculously remember to make tea while the water’s hot, and sit down on the coach, cup in hand.
I’m on my second attempt of Project-Tongue-Scald when Vivian sits beside me, dangling her feet.
“Mom, remember?” she says, looking over at me.
I run through the list of promises I might have made. Not surprisingly, my mind is blank. “Remember what?” I ask.
“No eating or drinking in the living room.”
I weigh my options: I could debate the fact that adults have different rules or I could just get off my tired butt.
“Thanks, honey,” I say, sarcasm sword unsheathed. I stand up, step on some Lego, and wander to the kitchen. I review the calendar on the fridge and see, for the second time, her note. In the big scheme of things, I find myself agreeing: “Who cares?”
*
It’s my 100th post! I’m not much for celebrations (as you likely know if you’ve read my posts on birthday parties, the 100th day of school, and our anniversary), but the lovely Lauren Davis, an independent stylist with Stella and Dot Jewelry, has offered two stunning pieces of jewelry to give away, delicate drop earrings and a sloane enamel bangle. All you have to do is leave a comment below and live in either Canada or the US. I will use a random number generator to select two winners on Monday, October 18. Thank you all for reading, and thank you, Lauren, for the gorgeous jewelry. Here’s to the next 100 posts!
Congrats on your 100th post! I am terrified for when my girls get older. The 4 yr old is already full of attitude. I am often reminded by her not to leave my shoes in a heap by the door or throw my sweater on the stairs. And occaisionally I get a “don’t talk with your mouth full” too. Lord help me.
I think I love your daughter. I totally “get” her. Smart thing! Congratulations on your 100th post!!! I’m really enjoying your posts.
~kim
Congrats onyour 100th post!! And a bigger congrats on raising a strong daughter! I totally have the same problem. I feel your pain. My only consulation is that she’ll be a strong woman!
Congratulations, Leanne! Reading your 100 posts has been such a pleasure! My girls are older and they have caught me a number of times having different rules for them than for me (for example, not eating in bed). Luckily, they are old enough to understand the excellent argument “Life is not fair; get used to it.”
I look forward to your 200th-post celebration.
My six-year-old can’t make it through a sentence without sarcasm right now. It’s driving me crazy. I think this is a simple case of projection, I am irritated by a quality, I myself possess. 😉
We also finally gave up and explained that adults had separate eating in the living room rules! So I am sarcastic AND hypocritical!
wow you are my hero. im up to 23 posts & got a whole long way to go. congratulations!
vivi is my hero too. i would never have dreamed of talking back to my parents like that…
Good post…makes me confront the need to stop serving my 3 year old rice in the living room, while he plays Super Mario Galaxy on the Wii…a recipe for disaster.
I always enjoy your blog; very relatable. Keep ’em coming!
PS, for the tea thing, I learned (after reboiling the kettle repeatedly then giving up all hope on a cup of hot tea) to make tea in a thermal carafe. As long as the hot water makes it in there, that creates a few hours window of opportunity, and my cup actually stands a chance, lol.
The first statement reminds me of someone else….she is definitely her Mother’s daughter.
I did not reply to get in on the ‘draw’. As you know, I am very lucky at draws and if I did win, it would look kind of bad.
But then again, Who cares!
Leanne – funny as ever – loved that she is (as you pointed out) grammatically correct. Right now I’m just thankful that my 2 year old little miss is not aware of the “different rules” as yet. I’m waiting…(likely next week at the rate she is going)
CONGRATULATIONS on 100 posts – you are an inspiring woman living your dream and managing to fit in all the regular life stuff as well (no small feat for the mother of twins!). Don’t forget to enjoy your successes, drink them in (like really good wine).
Congrats on your 100th post. I enjoy reading your posts, you always make me laugh 🙂 I have a 4yr old daughter who is full of attitude I can only imagine what she’ll come out when she’s Vivi’s age.
Leanne, Great stuff! Vivian and my girls should get together… NOT. My oldest is already turning into an adult at age 7. When I get angry about something she’s done, she just looks at me calmly and tells me to count to ten. What am I supposed to say to that? *eye roll*
Love your stuff. Good to know someone else is going through the same (or worse)!
Congrats on your 100th post! I always look forward to a good chuckle when your emails come in, it makes me go home to my 2 & 3 year olds with a bit more of an open mind and a better sense of humor!
Carley
We used to have the same rule. Tea was my downfall as well. Now the carpet is trashed, but we are much happier. The rules are simply works in progress! Good luck!
ps — the legos will be all over the floor until he is at least 11.
I’m actually surprised that you went in the other room! I tell my kids I have already made it through my first 18 years of following my parents rules, so I know that if I spill something I clean it up. This is where my kids fall short. They are not allowed to eat or drink outside of the designated areas because they are little piggies, and they have not learned to follow through with their mistakes yet. I have, oh – and I pay the bills…so I do what I want.
I’m so scared of my child being as sarcastic as I was! It pretty much has to bite me in the butt at some point.
Oh yes, and congrats on your 100th post. How’s the book?
Congrats on your 100th post! I’m so petrified that my son will have my husband’s sarcastic edge…I should resign myself to it now!
My two year old rolled her eyes at me the other day and said “oh my god!” when I asked her a question. When has two become the new teenager?
Congratulations! Love this post. As a Mimi (grandmother) I see only myself, my strong daughter and my strong, beautiful Gigi (grandaughter), who at 4 also writes heartfelt notes and beautiful paintings.
This too shall pass and she will become a strong beautiful woman. Enjoy every moment of the “strongness”
Microwaves warm cold tea nicely.
Mimi
100 congrats on your 100th blog Leanne
Girls are so different than boys, she is going to get “stronger”, my daughter, now 15, sounds so much like Vivian. She will be fearless in expressing her thoughts. It makes for a much more confident person who tends not to conform to being “in”. Have fun and enjoy.
I love reading your posts, they bring back so many memories.
Huh. Are you sure you don’t have a nanny cam in my house? Because that is about what occurred in my house the other day, with the only necessary changes being to replce “brother” with “sister” and “housecleaning robot” with “wooden block castle”. Eerie. But glad I’m not alone in this. 🙂 congrats on your 100th post!
Try this: Whoever gets caught eating in the living room has to have a bath. I find that I get caught regularly, right about the time that I’m being asked to play Lego. If Kid gets caught, EVERYBODY on the block wins.
I think my 6-year-old daughter and yours have been comparing notes! The attitude and general teenagerness that can come off of a 6-year-old is truly astounding. Congratulations on your milestone!
My 6 yo daughter is just as sassy and quick. Nothing gets by her and I’m constantly asking myself how, if she’s almost smarter than me now, will I argue properly with her when she’s a teenager.
Generally, it is my step-son who will pull ‘Who cares?’. Often times it is said in an extremely disrespectful tone and my response is usually something like “You… in a minute”. Sometimes he says it in a more joking tone and he gets an entirely different response of ‘Hey… I care’.
I hope this is a sign of strength because up til now, I hadn’t been thinking that.
My 5 year old is like that. She USED to be shy! Now she is getting a little braver in what she tells me.
Still trying to figure how to handle it….
You don’t want to squash is but sometimes you wonder where to draw the line!
Congrats on the 100th post!
Our kids lining us out started way earlier than I would have ever imagined. The Hellcat always gives me little lectures, complete with finger-wagging. It’s adorable.
Wonder where your daughter would have picked up being humorous and saucy? Probably from the two other women who are funnier than you.