Parenting 101

I have to admit, Nick and I are pretty un-original when it comes to parenting. As far as we are concerned, not only is Asa the birghtest thing since Albert Einstein, but he is cuter than ANY other kid out there. Yeah, every parent says the samething. But one thing I have learned as a parent, is that you learn from your kids. So, here is what Asa has taught me so far, although as he grows, so will I.

1) It's okay to cry if you don't get what you want for any meal.
Life is short, and he has a point-I may not cry openly, but I think it is okay to dream about steak if I made macaroni and cheese for dinner. (And I sneak the candy when he isn't looking!)

2) Who cares if you crap your pants.
Okay, I care if I crap my pants but I did learn that it isn't the end of the world-just clean it up and get going.

3) Say hi to strangers.
Asa says hi to everyone. I may not say hi to all I meet, but he reminded me that being friendly has its own rewards.

4)Puppy Dog and Blankie are the best friends ever.
Okay, my friends may not be stuffed or imaginary (except for the hot, buff guy that wants to whisk me to Europe) , but I realized that the friends that count, are the ones that are there for you no matter what. They are almost like a marriage of sorts, and like Puppy Dog and Blankie, I can count on them.

5)People matter more than things.
My son has a basket of toys to rival any toy store. What does he like best? Puppy Dog, Blankie, and time spent with him. A little egocentric but isn't it what we all truly want? Some of my best memories are of the people I met, not the things I have gotten.

6)People who drove you nuts before you had kids, are just as annoying after you have kids.
I heard stories-Motherhood makes you more patient. Motherhood makes you kinder. Apparently Motherhood makes you some kind of saint. It skipped me-the people who I didn't like before, I like less now. I have less time, and energy, to deal with their bullshit.

7)Spinning in circles is fun.
Well, it is fun for some people, if not me.

8)Human Developement is an amazing thing.
Watching Asa grow from this lump, to a walking thing, to a toddler who can hold and grasp and sing has been an amazing journey. And it isn't even close to being over!!!!

9)Smiles, laughter, and happiness are contagious.
Asa will watch some stupid puppet show and laugh at the puppet's antics. I think that puppet belongs on a skewer over a B-B-Q, yet I laugh because my little boy just laughed. Maybe if we all laughed and smiled more the world would be different.

10)Some of the kid toys I thought were stupid, are stupid.
People get stuff and tell me kids just love this-the experts say so. Yet when I hand it to Asa, after a few tosses at the wall, he never plays with it again. It says to me, my gut was right. A second lesson-kids are smarter than we think they are. A third lesson-"experts" don't know everything. A question I think of- who the hell do "experts" use as their test subjects?

11)Just when people want to tell me how much the world has changed, I am reminded of how much it has stayed the same thing.
I'll bet 200 hundred years ago there was a mother out there who felt the same way I do about cooking, diapers, and about the state of politics. I'll bet 100 hundred years ago, a mother worried when her child got sick, loved baby giggles, and hoped the weather would hold for an afternoon outing. And 50 years ago, I am sure there was a mother who hoped her child grew up to find a career he liked, a partner to share life, and people to whom to call friends. Statistically, children are safer, healthier, and happier than ever before. So why are we so worried we are doing it wrong?