It's Mom Now

When I look at Carol, I see my little baby girl.  If what my mom says is true, I will always see my baby girl even when she goes off and has kids of her own.  I didn’t expect to be mommy forever, but thought I might get a couple more years out of her.  Unfortunately, on her third birthday Carol decided she was too mature for mommy, and is just Mom now.

I don’t know if it was merely a coincidence or if something biological clicked exactly on Carol’s third birthday.  We had decided in advance to ride the train a few stops and get pizza for lunch.  We thought rightly that she would get a kick out of riding the train, even though it would have been much easier to drive. As we were prepping to go everything was “Yes Mom,” “No Mom,” “ Come on Mom.”  Kevin laughed at my new name until we went to the front yard and she said, “I’ll get the paper Dad.”  Hmm.

She loved riding the train; everything from waiting on the platform and waving to the train operator to plotting our course on the map inside.  She exhibited so much joy and excitement over every aspect of the experience, whereas it is something I do every day and has lost its luster.  However, even in her childish excitement, she continued to call us Mom and Dad, this made me sad.

Getting her nails done

Since then, there have been moments when she reverts to Mommy, like when she is tired, scared or hurt.  But for the other 99%  of the time, Mom.  I can’t help but wonder if her decision to switch will cause Bri to make the switch earlier (Bri can’t even talk yet).  I hope not.  This makes me think of when I was about seven or eight and I told my little sister Sesame Street was stupid.  She stopped watching.  My mom was mad.  I wasn’t trying to be mean; I just thought I knew better.  I guess I should resign to whatever will, happen will happen, but I can still not like it.

Since then she has demonstrated her new found maturity in my ways.  Just this morning she commented, “I’m not a baby, I’m a big girl.”  Mind you, this was after she woke up in the middle of the night upset about something or another and spent the rest of the night in our bed.  We are in the middle of potty training and on Sunday she proceeded to tell me: “You drive me crazy,“ “Leave me alone,” and “Mom, you go to time out.”  Yikes!  If only it didn’t sound so absolutely hilarious coming from her, it would be upsetting.

I realize she is just trying to assert herself and demonstrate control over her life and choices, this is normal.  All my other mom friends say the exact same thing.  Even so, couldn’t I just have Mommy for another few years?