My kid will never _________.

So life got busy and the poor blog got the boot for  awhile, but I vow to bring it it back and show it some love.  To start it off again, I thought I would reintroduce one of the very first posts to set the mood.  Enjoy and check back for more updates to come more often.  Promise?

I remember making many a statement that started with these four words and hearing my parents laugh.  I never really understood why they found it humorous as I thought I was a strong, determined person.  Surely I could stick to my own rules.  Well, one such statement was “My little girl will not wear big bows.”  Hanging head in shame, I introduce exhibit 1.

Yep.   That is the back of my oldest daughter’s bathroom door.  I failed miserably at my own pledge of protection from the perils of bows.  The first day she came home from the in-laws with a ponytail and a big bow, I crumbled.  She looked so cute.  There began the end.  I have continued to break my rules.

When expecting Moms come in the store now and talk about what their child will never do,  the rest of us Mango Moms giggle, jot it down and remind them of it when we see them break it.

In honor of the failure to keep my promise, I will be there first to introduce:

My name is Autumn and my kid wears bows.

Can other good kids make my kids good?

It was a great trip to the lake with our good friends. They have two kids: boy 10yrs old and girl 13yrs old. Let me tell ya… They are the coolest, most well behaved, good natured kids. I love being around them and pray they wear off on my girls. I just wanted to share some stories of what makes them unique to me and interactions I have heard them have .
My girls are 3.5yrs old and 2yrs old. Not exactly the age for hanging with the big kids, but these two I mentioned always give them full attention and are so patient.

Starting with the boy, I can remember being so taken with him when we went to Rhodes homecoming and he spent the day walking the 3.5 year old around holding her hand, getting her drinks, even picking up after her. I told him he didn’t have to hang with her and he said she was his friend. So sweet. Then I can remember going to watch him at a baseball game and he saw us walking up and from the field yelled hello to the girls by name. Afterwards he ccalled them over to give him a hug. He was never too cool to not have time for them. This wekeend when we talked about the girls getting older, he talked about how the boys would have to get through his approval before they could date the girls. He calls them “My Soah” and “My PT”. He said no one better ever break their hearts. Again, so sweet.

The girl is beautiful. She is thirteen going on nineteen with her looks. Her daddy is screwed! You forget that she is thirteen because she is so composed too. Even when I told her that was not here to be babysitter, she spent much of time with the girls. “Come look at this.” “Help me that…” She always obliged. Today, while she was out in the water with them, I overheard her telling my 3.5yr old that when she gets her driver’s license, she will come pick up and they will go get Baskin Robbins, etc. PT’s eyes just lit up! Tonight she had tickets to the American Idol concert and instead of taking another girlfriend or something, she rocked it with my 3.5yr old. How cool!

These guys are full of thank you’s, please, hugs, more manners, and just general coolness. Huge kudos tot hem and even bigger kudos to their Mom, Dad, Stepmom, and Stepdad. You guys are raising some fantastic folks that I am thankful to know. Now, I will take all of your helpful advise and training to make mine turn out like that… Starting now!

No, Stop, and Don’t…

Lately, most every sentence out of my mouth begins with one of those words.

 

          “No, you can’t have any more colorful candy (my 3yr old’s name for Smarties).”

 

          “Stop climbing on Mommy.”

 

          “Don’t kick your sister.”

 

I am starting to think if I just put “No, Stop, Don’t” on an audio loop or a motion activated player, I may never have to speak to my children.

 

I know, gasp, did she just say that? Yep. You know you have thought it on occassion.

 

Truth is, I love talking to them. Their inquisitve minds, creative nature, and compassionate souls pour forth honestly and unabashed. Perhaps this is the only time in their lives that they will feel such freedom. We all know that the more we learn, the less we share and dare.

 

So even if the majority of your sentences start with those same words.  Enjoy the conversation.

 

 

The girls (Climbing on me)

 

Thought I’d share samples of the gamut from just this weekend:

 

Mommy, you look cool 9 (my 3.5yr old when hugging me before visiting with Michael at the BTE show)

 

We’re a family- right Mommy (my 3.5yr old when all 4 of us were crossing street holding hands)

 

Oh, maaaaaannnnn ( Six syllables in man – my 2yr old when I dropped her nugget)

 

That woman has one leg, but it is okay, right Mommy ( my 3.5yr old after seeing a woman out shopping)

 

you’re not my friend, cuz I’m really, really mad at you ( my 2yr old parroting the 3.5yr old)

 

 

What things have yours said?

 

 

You’re not my friend

Lately, my three year old throws around the “you’re not my friend” comeback when disciplined. The bad part is that our two year old parrots every word big sister utters.
The other night she was particularly upset with me for telling her that it was time to stop talking and go to bed. Here was our exchange:

Me: Are you going to meet me in Honali in our dreams tonight?
PT: (pouting) Yes and me and Daddio and Soah are going to ride on Puff, but he is going to eat you and you will never be my friend ever, ever again.
Me: That would be sad. You want mommy to go away forever.
PT: Yes and I not have a mommy.
…::ouch::…(my heart breaking)
Me: Okay, well then mommy will leave.

(I leave room closing the door and she begins to cry out for mommy so I go back in.)

Me: PT why are you crying for mommy. You didn’t want a mommy ever again.

( I go over to hug her.)

Me: You know even if you say mean words that hurt mommy, mommy will always love you forever and ever. Mommy will never leave you.

(PT started tearing up and her mouth corners turned down. This made me start to cry and ask a tear rolls out of my eye, down my cheek..)

PT: Mommy, a tear fell out! Oh mommy.

( Things brings on the waterworks for her. She throws her arms around my neck and we both cry for a bit….)

She’s 3. Smart, sensitive, and so frighteningly like me.

Pop & Talk

I am so tired of threatening my two year old with “Do I need to spank you?” I feel the harsh glare of people around me when I bend down and whisper it during a fit or other poor behavior. Notice I say “whisper” because I normally feel like weird about shouting it out.

I decided that as an attorney handling a large amount of Child Welfare cases, threats of physical discipline might be frowned upon. The truth is, she never really gets a spanking. The threat of spanking has always been followed with a small pop on the butt and a discussion on why the behavior was inappropriate. Thus, the “POP & TALK” was born. I can say it loud and proud and it is usually cue enough that she needs to reign herself in a bit.

Now I just say in a friendly voice, “You need a pop and talk?” meaning a little pop on the bottom and talk about why she can’t do what she is doing, and she replies, “No want a pop and talk.” She immediately calms down.

Our Pop & Talk’s always end with us friends again via a hug and “I love you.”

Poopie in Public

     Saturday night we joined friends for an evening out at Huey’s to feed our burger need.  The seven of us were seated around one of the large tables in the back in the hopes of not disturbing the other patrons.  Now, Huey’s is a pretty loud place on its own, but add PT and her partner in action Nealy (also 2) and it can seem like Huey’s is a quiet romantic getaway.  Those two can produce some volume.  PT’s little sis, Soah, just looks at me like “why is she so loud?”

     Anyway, near the end of the evening, PT announced that she needed to go poopie and started the poopie dance.  Off we rushed.  After success in the stall and a quick education from the bathroom wall wit, we headed back to the table.  About half way through the sea of tables, PT yells (with arms up and out in dramatic fashion) “Daddy, I poopied!”  Scene set: all eyes are now on PT and me.  PT is so proud and I am smiling ( all while wishing I was invisible).  Everyone giggles and claps for her.  Her Daddy and everyone else at the table, not knowing how else to respond, gives her “good jobs”, “I’m so proud,” etc.

     I have to admit that it was pretty funny and thinking back, not all that embarrassing. If someone told me that one day I would not be embarrassed when someone with me announced that they had successful pooped to a room full of people, I would say they were loco.

I guess Mommyhood does change you.

Hello world!

Welcome to life on Mango Street.   For those that do not know us, we are two local owned stores in Memphis and Germantown Tennessee called Mango Street Baby.  We offer registry, bedding, furniture, gifts, and gear for little ones.  We pride ourselves on our relationship with our customers and being a part of their special time.  We hear some pretty amazing stories– some happy, some sad.

This spot hopes to be the outlet for all of us here at Mango Street Baby.  A place to share exciting news on the store front or the home front.  We hope you learn a little more about life on Mango Street–a place where we celebrate the fun of life.  Here, we surround our Mango Babies with color and sound, all to bring laughter and awe in their little faces.

We plan to share the stories that come through our door and we invite you to join us on the ride. We will also try to include some fun pics, etc.