Sign Me Up!

Why do two-year-olds appear to be oblivious to anything said around them and then suddenly repeat the one thing that is said that they shouldn't repeat? On Wednesday afternoons, Colter and I hang out with a two-year-old named Scarlet. The other day she was sitting on the floor playing when some blocks when I dropped something and said, "Shoot!" Guess what immediately came out of Scarlet's mouth? That's right! She smiled and said, "Shoot!" Then I, knowing her mom probably didn't want her to say that, again said, "Oh, shoot, no wait, um..." Of course, she said shoot again, but I distracted her with some blocks and tried to stop setting a bad example. At least I don't say anything worse than that! :) Well, usually anyway.

After I taught Scarlet how to swear, I showed her how fun it was to flip the lights off and on repeatedly. She would flip off the lights, then I would act all crazy and goofy until she flipped them on again. We did this over and over. Scarlet and Colter had a blast, but the next time she came over and started doing it again I wondered what in the world I had been thinking. I haven't asked her mom if Scarlet has been spending a lot of time at the light switch at home because I don't want her to know where her daughter gets her silly ideas.

I also am afraid poor Scarlet thinks it's okay to climb on coffee tables because I am such an inconsistent disciplinarian!!! Colter has been in a major climb-on-the-coffee-table-mode lately. John is very good about making him stop, and when I think about it, I make him get down too. When I think about it. For some reason I don't really think about anything being wrong every time he climbs up there. I'll just let him climb up and even laugh at him sometimes until I remember, oh yeah--you shouldn't be up there. I've even found myself putting him on the table a few times. Oops. I'm messing up my kid already!!! Colter's got to be so confused as to what the coffee table rules are. :) Not to mention poor Scarlet. When her mom's here, she gets in trouble for trying to climb on the table, but I dance on it with her!!! Okay, not really. If I knew how to dance I might though.

I think I might need parenting classes. Somebody sign me up!!!

P.S. Is our coffee table still a coffee table if we don't drink coffee?

P.P.S. Shanna, if you're reading this, I'm sorry I encouraged your daughter to flip the lights off and on over and over again. Forgive me? Oh, and sorry about the shoot thing too--hopefully she won't drop anything in Sunday school.

P.P.P.S. I don't really have anything else to say. I just wanted to see if I was allowed to have a P.P.P.S. Apparently so.