Life Lessons Learned from a Three Year Old

From Kai:  A Public Service Announcement

"Get your extracise......So you can be extra strong."

Choosing a profession:  Go With Your Gut

When Kai was asked what he wanted to be when he grows up he said without hesitation, 

"A robber!!!"

I told him in no uncertain terms that that wasn't going to be an option.  I asked him again what he would like to do with his life and with only a little hesitation he said, 

"A bad guy!!!"

When I looked at him with my most stern motherly glare and I shook my head, there was a long pregnant pause and he asked in a quiet voice, 

"A mean person?"

Thankfully he is only three.

A moment of truth:  Lessons in Humility

I have a concert coming up on January 1 at the Washington DC Temple Visitor's Center.  There is a lot of music to learn and my pipes are a bit rusty.  I practice in little snatches between diapers and disasters, thankful for whatever time I can get.  While Kai was busying himself with the Lego's upstairs and Cora was busying herself taking out all the plastic containers from the drawer, I was busying myself with a little singing time.  I went for the most difficult part of the song first:  The high belt/mix that happens on the bridge.  I just went for it.  I was pretty proud of myself that I could still hit the notes with the right technique.  It was loud and powerful and a very good first round.  Just as I was about to sing it again I hear from upstairs,

"Mama!  Are you okay?

Do you bleed?"

Obviously I'm in need of a bit more practice.

And finally:  The Art of Debate.  

You must know your position and play to your strengths when any type of debate is taking place, especially when your opponent is a three year old.  Kai's strength is honesty and transparency with a little bit of personality on the side.  When asked if he should be allowed to do something special he explained that he already knew how to behave so I didn't need to remind him:

"I don't act crazy.

I don't act wild.

I don't say dammit."

Well stated.

On our trip to Colorado in early September.  

 

Kai saying "yah, yah" to get the horse to go faster

Kai hunkering down in aerodynamic mode to get the horse to go faster.  Notice the slow-poke leading the horse.

First Day of School

I wasn't entirely ready to relinquish my lazy summer days to the hustle and bustle of packing lunch boxes, signing papers, stuffing backpacks and cramming a healthy meal down sleepy eyed children's mouths.  I'd become quite friendly with Apple Jacks and bare feet.

The first day of school snuck (sneaked?) around the corner, whacked me upside the head, and took two of my boys away in a big yellow school bus.  I just wasn't prepared.  We didn't have our Back to School Feast or end of summer extravaganza.  We spent the last week of summer in Colorado so I didn't attend any Meet and Greets or Kindergarten registrations.  Summer was going along swimmingly, and then all the sudden the drain let out and we found ourselves thrust into a schedule and deadlines.


(Ever doing her part, Mother Nature decided to yank summer from my tightly clenched fist by dumping rain on the first day of school with temperatures hovering at 65 degrees.  No easing us in, just thrusting us off the cliff into another school year.)

So I had my hint(s).  Time to get back into the grind with stricter bed times and odd, unidentifiable odors emanating from lunch boxes.

My brand new big boy kindergartener donned his brand new spiffy "jogging shoes" (he already tested their "speediness" in the aisles of the shoe store), hoisted on his unblemished backpack (that looked like it could topple him over at any minute), tamed his unruly hair, and waited impatiently for the clock to reach 8:30 so he could run to the bus stop.

My seasoned second grader ate 3 eggs on toast (with the eggs on the side....I'm still trying to figure out why we don't call them "eggs on the side of toast"), secured his going-on-its-third year-dirty-backpack to his back, and played with Cora until I told him he had to leave her to go to catch his bus.

As Owen climbed up the very tall stairs into his bus and sat down in the second row, I could only see him from his nose up, face pressed against the window.  He looked so small, yet so confident.  He was still my baby with the giant blue eyes looking down at me as he excitedly waved goodbye. 

The juxtaposition of letting go but hanging on always comes to greet me on the first day of school.  I'm excited to send my boys into a new adventure where they will gain the skills and knowledge they need to grow up happy and well adjusted.  But I want to hang on to them and shelter them from things that little eyes and ears shouldn't hear or little hearts can't absorb.  

First day of kindergarten

First day of second grade

A brother's version of putting their arm around each other.

Kai rushing after them saying, "Wait for me!"  They didn't wait.

They made me proud on that first day.  The pair of them were intrepid explorers ready for their next great enterprise together as brothers/friends.  I sent my little men off and I could see they were confident and curious.  And then I looked over and saw Kai spinning Cora around in the stroller and I was brought back to reality.  I'll see them again in 8 hours, their heads crammed full of knowledge, no doubt.  And they'll be ready to cram their mouths full of snacks and take heartily from my stash of patience.