Word choices, prayers, and dirty looks...

It seems like every time I turn around, my kids are more grown up. In fact, I think they believe they have surpassed my level of intelligence, and so must now teach me. Take, for example, the conversation I had with McKayla the other night:



McKayla: I think that C.S. Lewis, Judy Blume, and Beverly Cleary are my favorite authors.
Me: They do write fun books, don't they.
McKayla: No, Mom, I think I like them because they use very good word choices. (Said in a very you-wouldn't-understand sort of way.)

Excuse me for believing that my eight year old was just looking for a fun reading experience.

And then there's Tanner. He loves to say the family prayer. In fact, he'll beat anyone up who tries to stop him. I'm not sure how that all plays out in the eternal scheme, but we're glad he is so determined to pray. His general routine goes something like this:

"Thank you for this day. Please help us to be a family together forever. Please bless McKayla for all of her sweetness. Please bless Tayler for all of the joy. Please bless Daddy for going to work and earning money. Please bless Mom that she can have power to clean the house better. Amen."

Apparently, I have no sweetness, joy, or work ethic... I just need to get the house clean. I realize he's doing it to be sweet (probably stemming from the "All I do is clean all day long and all you kids do is undo what I've already done" comments he hears on a regular basis), but come on. I don't think it's being answered!


Now you'd think that Tayler would be incapable at 18 months of showing me he's in charge, but if you've seen his "dirty look" that he now does even on command, you'll realize that he too is way beyond me. I guess that's life. Someday they'll all turn 21 and realize that I'm not as ignorant as they thought. Or maybe not......