A friend’s Facebook Status reminded me of this post and I thought I would share it again. An oldie but a goodie.

**************************

Oh, dear.

How do I approach this one?

I wish I could say that my malicious, trouble-seeking neighbor said this to me. I would even settle for admitting I uttered these words to the determined teenager at my door selling magazines last week.

But, no.

These words, now infamous in my household, were spoken by my 2-year old son, Jack.

And he meant them. Every last one of them.

The recipient of such rude talk, you ask?

My nephews. And, here’s the really sad part. They were there to see if Jack wanted to play. These boys were actually willing to give upa part of their Saturday to spend it with a toddler.

I bore the kid and I’ll barely do that.

So, here goes the story. My daughter, Avery, and Jack were in the front yard playing. My nephews, Matt and Bryan,walk on up and say, “Hey Jack, do you want to play?”

Jack replies, “Get off my grass.”

Matt says, “Now, Jack, if you’re not nice we’re going to leave and not play with you.”

Jack’s response? “Buh bye,” as he shoves Bryan squarely in the chest.

OMG…

What a little jerk. And, yes, I realize that I am calling my son a jerk. But, come on.

Have you ever wondered, “Where have I gone wrong?” Has the thought crossed your mind that maybe, just maybe, you are raising a child bound for a future of prison life? I’ve got to be honest here. The thought definitely crossed my mind after this little episode.

And then he shoots one of these at me…an innocent, almost cherub-like, you-light-up-my-life kind of look. He follows up with a kiss and a hug, the words “I love you, mommy” spilling from his baby-pink lips. And I think to myself, “Oh, lighten up. Your sweet boy is just being 2. They all do it.”And then I’m ripped from my musingsby the pernicious sounds ofwood hacking at leaves. Jack has moved on. His new target? A fig tree. He’s chopping it down with his hobby horse.Hmm. I wonder if moms have their own visiting hours at the State Pen?

So, I will conclude with this thought…

You can learn many things from children. How much patience you have, for instance. ~Franklin P. Jones

Man, this dude has got it right.

Love to all, Mindy