daddyville

So as a fun follow-up to yesterday I pulled up my t-shirt and asked my 3 yr old daughter, "What's this again" as I pointed to my bellybutton? She promptly says, "that's your bellyhole"!
Note to Readership: My bellybutton had never heretofore been described to my face as a 'bellyhole' and quite frankly had never Been one until about 2 yrs ago! I had thought that my days of the 'growing spurts' were long completed, but alas, a new era was born and now the 'growing spurts' have re-manifested themselves in dimensional changes from front to back and not of 'the exciting kind', if you know what I mean. Let us Celebrate the Honesty of Toddlers!! Bless you My Child for pointing out Truth when you see it! *Hehe. Big Grin*

My 3yr. old just told me that her nipples were called 'bubble tops' and that her bellybutton was her 'butt'. Oops. I had thought that we had gone over that one enough times. I guess not. She had gotten that breasts are 'bubbles' all on her own, which is pretty clever seeing as how bubbles are spherical and all. She's a clever kid. It would just be nice if we could keep everything in it's properly labeled placement from front to back and top to bottom. We'll see how long that all takes. In the meantime, it's comedy all the way.
Part of the humor in this moment today was the fact that we are telling her everday that she needs to dry/wipe her bottom (sometimes known as butt) well after going to the potty. I knew that she didn't Really Mean that her bellybutton was her butt. It came out that way because she sometimes uses her own abbreviated names for things. In this case it was 'butt' for 'button'. Most often she calls her bellybutton her 'button', but it was pretty funny anyway. I asked her right after she said it, "So That's your Butt"? She said, "yeah", but I knew that was short for 'button'. I'll bet you didn't know that---that 'butt' is short for 'button'? I certainly didn't until she did that for the first time some months back. She's certainly a constant source for comedy around our house. The frequency of that comedic relief even seems to be increasing as she gets older. There's nothing bad about that!! :-)

I had told Shayla yesterday that I would take her to a park and then the day got away from us and it never happened. This morning she awoke at 8am moaning and crying about wanting to go to the park. So I knew today that we must make it to the park. Here we are.

...and I suppose that could be considered a good thing. Certainly it is in one direction. What 'direction' is that, do you ask? The 'direction' of the hard lessons that parents have to learn about themselves and about life through raising a beautiful life of their own. It Is beautiful. It's So Beautiful that I sha'n't think that anything shall Ever compare to it. But the memory of the difficulty fades with time as the Beauty of the whole process overtakes you. That is a good thing, and probably also an act of God's love and wisdom. Perhaps it is akin in some small way to the 'Rosy Glow' that lingers in most mothers' memories of the birthing event itself, which if you've ever attended one, is not quite so 'rosy' at the time. It doesn't look 'rosy' and it Certainly doesn't sound 'rosy'! Yet, mamas worldwide come away, it seems, more often than not with a 'rosy glow' connected to the event that stays associated with the memory of it. If you look into it, the biological pharmacology of birthing mothers tells the scientific version of the story.
I said all that just to say that just because someone is or has been a parent does not mean that they can relate to a toddler parent's daily struggles and challenges. The Pre-K teacher that just yesterday, who is a mother, told me that my 3 year old daughter was essentially selfish and bossy and needed to learn how to share more readily as well as be less demanding today had an about face tack. She told me today, "After I spoke with you and Christina yesterday I later realized that when my kids were young they were exactly the same way. I remember having to work with them on the same issues. I just wanted to say that it came to me later".
"Thank you for that", I thought.
"Aah, no problem. Thanks for saying that", I Said.
I left feeling more relieved and more understood. Kids are their own people. The greatest teaching we can give them is by example, and many times this is the hardest. The best, but also the hardest. While my 3 yr. old daughter is learning at lightspeed 'how to be' from All those around her, I her father am having to un-learn and re-learn 'how to be' All I can Be for Her. .....Uuhmmm...To be quite honest here,...she is much faster than I on 'the learning' than I am on the un-learning and re-learning combined. May God be Gracious. This kind of forced humility is like Gold. Precious.

Today we were informed by the Pre-K teacher that our little girl Shayla is bossy and is isolating herself from the other kids due to her self-appointed position of classroom rule 'enforcer'. The teacher said that she also needs to learn a little more about 'sharing'. Was I surprised? No. The teacher asked that we talk to her about it. "Okay", I said. "We will". "Talk to her about it", I thought. "Yeah, that should clear it right up. The kid's 3 years old. It might take a little trial and error. Come to think of it, this woman has two kids of her own. She knows this stuff". I will say that Shayla is quite engaging and is at that age where she's a definite handfull: she's constantly inquisitive, energetic, and opinionated.....and Not Shy. Not for more than 4-5 minutes anyway upon initially meeting, if that. "Yes, her mom and I will have some discussions with her about these things", I told Mrs. Rachel in response.
It's interesting to see these very human behaviors mirrored (for yourself?) in your kids. So, you reitterate for your child (and also for yourself...because it can never hurt anyone to hear) the moral ABCs of the basic code of human interaction. Of course the whole kit and kaboodle isn't resolved in one conversation. Oh no, in fact it could be that this is a mere begining of a personality 'trait'. Only time will tell if that is the case. For now, it is just a little 3 year old girl learning how to interact with the world around her. A little girl who's learning how to get her needs met AND learn how to do it with Happiness tagging along-side the whole way. It can happen. You can still be honest and forthright and have friends: tact and kindness must be learned. Without those it can, indeed be a lonely road.
As for her, I really think it is a process of socialization , and no, I do not count these things as clues to the need for siblings. :-) (Might as well head the Grandmas off at the pass. Hehe. ;-) ) There is a part of me that believes that we might be seeing the shining edges of her vibrant Personality peeking through a bit. Hmmm. Maybe so. ....CEO of a major corporation? Singer/Songwriter Rock Star? ...Well known butthead? We'll see, but whether or not it's just a 3 yr. old's rough hewn, still forming social skills or the harbinging fringe of a solid, deep personality trait will not matter in the slightest for there is that Love of Her that is in the Blood. At least, that's what I tell myself at this stage of the game. There's nothing wrong with gaining a little momentum to stow away for the teenage years, right...(laughing)? I love my daughter and will happily go to bat for her anyday. In fact, I've already bought a few, to speak of 'stowing away for the teenage years'. Hehe (just kidding on that last part-- couldn't help myself. Had to go there. ;-) ).