They Get It From Their Mama

I heard it's Mother's Day today, so let's celebrate...

How am I celebrating? By writing this blog to the sweet tunes of Steppenwolf, with an acoustic accompaniment of Miles beating a butter knife against the dryer. Is that all? Oh no, absolutely not. I'm going to have a margarita for lunch and then maybe do the dishes. A mama's got to treat herself sometimes, you know!

Every year I psych myself up thinking I'm going to wake up to a clean house and breakfast in bed, all of the children bathed and dressed in cute outfits. There'll be fresh flowers and handmade cards, and a small box with a pretty bow on top from my baby daddy... and every year, Chris goes to work, I get up and make the kids cold cereal and then we putter around the house in our jammies (them making messes, me half-ass cleaning up said messes) until we decide to go outside and play. We may or may not eat lunch, and I most likely won't get the house completely cleaned, but I will spend the day having fun with the little people who call me Mommy.

One thing that I love about my kiddos is that they each have their own little persona: The Smart One (Mia), The Wild One (Marlee), and The Cute One (Miles). Another thing that I love about them though is that I can see bits and pieces of myself in each one. Sometimes those little quirks make me beam with pride and other times they make me shake my head in embarrassment.

Mia Simone

Mia, age 3 months

1. She has an addiction to knowledge. My girl will spend hours researching certain topics on Wikipedia and then reciting what she's learned at random times. She's destined for Jeopardy stardom. She gets that from her mama.
2. Big ole dimples and hair that's wavy in the back and stick straight in the front. She gets that from her mama. I'm sorry about that one Sis! You too will love your straightening iron someday. 
3. The ability to memorize song lyrics after one listening experience, and a pretty decent singing voice to boot. Girl can do some in-car karaoke like nobody's business. She gets that from her mama.
4. A preference for red meat or fresh seafood when we go out to eat. You know, the most expensive things on the menu... She'll clean her plate though, so that kind of eases the sting when the check comes. She gets that from her mama.
5. The ability to turn off the child and turn on the adult in ninety to nothing. My firstborn is the responsible one, the nurturer, the caretaker whether she's doting on her friends, her dolls, or her mama on a rough day. I was like that as a child. I got that from my mama, she gets it from her mama.

Mia, age 6

Marlee Cole

Marlee, 7 months

1. The kid is sassy. She has a strong opinion about everything. EVERYTHING. And she's not afraid to share it with you, despite the fact that she knows you won't see her point of view. She gets that from her mama.
2. All of her birth marks and moles are mirror images of mine: discoloration right below her rib cage, double mole 'snake bite' on her hip, mole on the toe, palm of her hand, right arm pit. Does she get that from her mama? Obviously. And it's creepy as shit.
3. Miss Thang loves some makeup. She's got an affinity for the glamorous, and every day is a reason to feel pretty. She gets that from her mama.
4. Boo eats tomatoes like they're candy. Freshly washed or covered with dirt straight from the garden, whole or sliced, cooked or raw my middle child will chow down on 'maters. She gets that from her mama.
5. If she needs to pick her nose, she does it. She also cusses like a damn sailor. It's embarrassing and she gets it from her mama.

Marlee, age 3 1/2

Miles Christopher

Miles, age 2 months

1.  Brother is a morning person. He wakes up smiling and happy, and just can't wait to let everyone know that he's up and ready to start the day. He gets that from his mama.
2. He's perfectly content with snacking all day on the go so that he doesn't have to actually sit down and eat a meal. If you slow down, you might miss something good, right? He gets that from his mama.
3. Miles laughs at the most inappropriate times. He finds humor in the most awkward situations and then has to hide his face in mid-giggle when he gets caught if he doesn't want a scolding. He gets that from his mama.
4. Do you remember Charlton H. Banks from 'The Fresh Prince of Bel Air'? My little fella dances just like him, and it's not from watching it on TV and practicing. He gets that from his mama, finger snapping and everything.
5. He's got a quick temper. One minute he's smiling, and the next, he's hot mad and throwing something across the room. That's not something that Daddy does, he definitely gets that from his mama.

Miles, age 21 months

If it weren't for these little turds, I wouldn't have the honor of being a mama. It's probably the best thing about living this crazy life of mine. Right now, they're dying to go jump on the new trampoline so it's time to end this post.

It's Mother's Day - celebrate it with memories of your own mother, or by making memories with your own kiddos. Don't do the dishes, but do have a margarita. You've earned it!