Oh My Wood!

Each stage of child development is fascinating to me. It intrigues me to witness a little person go from only saying "mama" to a full fledged sentence. It amazes me how a toddler can switch from whining to alert you of his needs, to putting the thought into words and expressing it with precision.

As most of you know, Eben was a late talker. By the age of two, he was only using a handful of words. Looking back, I can see many reasons for this...he has mind readers for sisters who never let him go long without already knowing and providing what he was lacking, he couldn't get a word in edgewise because well, he has three older sisters, and I'm convinced that he knew the words..could say the words...and in his stubborn will, decided not to.

Now, he's a yapper! He'll tell you exactly what he wants. He'll ask you a million and one questions to figure something out. He'll even use his newly discovered super powers of manners with a smile to convince you to do his bidding. It's delightful. The whole family is thrilled and constantly sharing the adorable things he says.

But with anything learned, he's watched and listened to each of us and adopted our words, habits, and manners as his own. I'd like to tell you that because we are always on our best behavior his little mouth is pristine. I'd like to tell you he is quoting scripture and saying things like "Mommy, I adore you. Let me do that for you." However, we do live in a real world and we, believe it or not, are not always perfect.

My latest cringe is when I heard him shouting upstairs at the top of his lungs, "Get out of my Woom!" then followed it up with a smiling "pweese!" Adorable, yes, but oh so rude! Perhaps I should focus my attention on the fact that he does use his polite words.

Some of our favorites are his raw excitement, when something delights him, he claps with a "yeah-hoo!" or gasps in amazement, "Oh My Wood!!" One of our favorites is "Come on, guys! Let's go....see, me happy!" convinced that if he is happy and smiling the world will follow willingly. Oh, and the newest taunt after anything mischievous that he does, which is one of his favorite past times, is "Nanny, nanny, poo, poo!" followed with his adorable laugh, then covering his grinning mouth acting shocked saying, "Oops! Me say bad words!"

All of this rambling is to say this...monkey see, monkey do! The words that I say, the attitude I reflect, the manner in which I conduct myself is constantly and without fail mirrored back to me. It is no wonder that we are commanded to speak His words and meditate on His sayings, posting them on our walls, even carrying them around our necks...just as my kids soak up my words, I soak up those I hear and am surrounded by. May I remember as I walk through this day, that I am the light they are witnessing. His words are my words and thus their words.

Little brother is great at reminding me, especially when he pulls this cuteness..."Come on, mom! Talk to me! Me like Mommy!" What an honor!!!