She can eat her feet if she wants to.

I'll take "things I thought I'd never say" for a thousand please.

Yesterday, on the way to my grandfather's 88th birthday party, Ben decides to "tattle" on Sadie and tell me "mom, Sadie is trying to eat her foot". To which I replied "she can eat her feet if she wants to".

Ahh, the things we say as parents. I've found they fit into 2 categories. They either make you laugh, because you never thought you would have to say the things you do, OR they are highly annoying, because they are the things you told yourself you would never say to your children.

Here are some examples of the things I have found myself saying:

-"Finish your hotdog, or no cake"......as if a hotdog is healthy.

-"Stop pulling on your penis", "no one wants to see your penis", "no, mommies don't have a penis"....... yes, having a boy is so very fun sometimes.

-"Pay attention to what your doing" .......aiming is apparently something boys AND men are incapable of doing.

-"No, mommy does not have diarrhea"..........yes, this was in the checkout line at the fabric store. Notice how most conversations with a 4-year-old involve bodily functions.

-"Leave your sister alone"..........this is currently the most popular phrase, uttered hundreds of times a day.

-"Worry about yourself", "I don't care if {blank} can", "talk nicely, "in English please", "is there a better way you can talk to me?", "1.....2.....3eeeeeeeee"

As if having to speak these phrases at all isn't bad enough, once or twice is never adequate. I find myself repeating these things over and over and oooovvveeerrrrrrr again.

AHHHHHHHH, parenthood.

We always start out at the beginning of pregnancy dreaming and fantasizing about this perfect life of mom, dad, and baby (and eventual siblings). With each passing day it becomes more and more apparent that no matter how hard we try, we will always become our parents. It seems to be fate that history repeat itself, at least in some ways. We find ourselves telling our children the very things that we rolled our eyes at when spoken by our own parents. Who hasn't heard the old "money doesn't grow on trees" bit, right? I'm confident though, that since I think I turned out ok (although some people may disagree), I doubt I am dooming my children to a lifetime of therapy if I repeatedly tell them to "pick up your toys" or "eat those carrots".

Here's a little secret too,..................we rolls our eyes right along with them. LOL!!!