Having a toddler is like having a really unflattering mirror.
Kendall’s in this phase where he likes to mimic us. He busts out the craziest/funniest things lately, and our first reaction is always to look at each other and say, “Do we SAY (DO) that?” After much introspection, we usually come to the conclusion that yes, we do.
I handed Kendall a chocolate chip cookie yesterday after school. His response? “Sweet!” Do we say that? *sigh* Yes, we do.
He pleaded for another chocolate chip cookie by telling us, quite adamantly “LAST one! Momma, LAST one!” like some sort of alcoholic begging for a drink for the road. That’s actually a common phrase around here. We’re often telling him this is the “last” of this and that in an effort to stifle future meltdowns over cutting him off after 8 clementine oranges or 6 walnuts 45 minutes before dinner.
In another attempt to buy himself some time on the potty before making his deposit the other day, he dramatically threw his head on my lap (I was sitting next to him on the edge of the bathtub) and sighed heavily “I SAD.” He took a deep breath, threw his head to the other side and repeated, “I SAD!” We determined he was “sad” because I wouldn’t let him play with the toilet paper. Scott says he’s merely mimicking my dramatics. It’s quite possible, I’ll admit.
He got a new pair of sunglasses at Old Navy last week and proceeded to walk around the store putting them on with grand, elaborate gestures, then pushing them up on his head and sighing. I know he’s mimicking me, and this now makes me very self conscious about the manner in which I put on and remove my sunglasses. It also makes me highly aware of anytime I sigh. It seems I sigh a lot.
Oddly? He’s mimicking the sighing and NOT the four letter words that usually follow it…. for now. I swear, I’m working really hard on eliminating those from my vocabulary, or at least the vocabulary that’s not said under my breath.
Kendall is 2. *Sigh*
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18 comments
Oddly, this makes me feel much better. We’re in the middle of echo-land with our two year old. Although that is actually more appealing than the “NO!” that his baby sister is throwing around like she got a hold of a hand grenade, so I guess I shouldn’t complain about him.
At least that’s ALL he mimics. Sadly our 2 yr old started mimicking the 4 letter words at about 18 mths. But I don’t know whether to be proud or ashamed that he uses them in context.
Mommy-“Phoenix lets go night-night”
Phoenix “Bullshit mommy!”
big, big, BIG sigh…Phoenix is 2. ::Shakes head::
I say be proud. Ha! That’s fantastic.
My kid grabbed his diaper bulge and yelled, ‘NUTS!!!!!’ last night.
Yeah. Wonder where he got THAT from?
Not from a squirrel, I’m guessing 😉
LOL Love it. It’s scary the things they mimick and notice when you don’t even realize it. I got off the phone a while back and said “call me later.” She proceeded to say: “no mom, you’re supposed to say give me a shout.” Gears turning…OH! my husband says that. Ugh, no Ave, thanks but I’ll stick to my line.
Seriously. Crazy. Except once I think she said crackhead. OOPS.
My son is 15 months and when he gets his hand on a phone, he turns it sideways and starts “texting” with his thumbs.
Lmao. Yes! I forgot to tell y’all about his early mastery of the iPhone. Glad im not alone.
It was funny when a toddler would do all of this when they weren’t your kid. Just remember you’re providing someone somewhere loads of entertainment.
My son is an expert at the iPhone/iPod touch, too. He especially likes to take pictures. And delete my emails.
My nephew, when he was about 5, overheard my husband and his siblings talking about how one of them was trying to have a baby with no success… anyway, he heard the term “spank bank” and repeated it for WEEKS. All the time. “Spank bank” this and “spank bank” that. He didn’t know what it meant, but it was super funny. Probably because he’s not my kid!
I wish mine was more adept. I started keeping an episode of Dora on my ipod touch for emergencies. I don’t like her to have it really. But if I give it to her in the car to head off a melt-down, she invariably stops it and can’t get it to start again, thereby causing the meltdown I was trying to avoid.
I know the only alternative is to take time to teach her to use it, but she’s already dropped it in water once, at home. I just want to keep it out of her hands and not get her accustomed to it, you know?
Lisa, Kendall does the same thing. And I don’t dare let him just play with it when I’m not within arm’s reach. He likes to throw things, and I’m afraid the Iphone wouldn’t be immune.
We actually have a 1st generation Iphone that we just sort of use as an Ipod touch. I’m tempted to just get a really tough cover for it and designating it as “his.”
TOO funny! We haven’t reached the full out mimicking stage yet (she’s just about 17 months) but I know it is coming! This morning, she watch her daddy put on deodorant and grabbed her sippy cup and started “applying” to her underarms… 🙂
About 6 months ago, I started to swear and fixed it midstream, so it came out shioot. Jenna heard “shot” and even still, she ‘swears’ all the time. Whenever she messes something up i hear her say “shot” under her breath… I guess I should be glad, she didn’t catch the real one?
Don’t you just love this stage? Our 2 year old has now picked up yelling “Aaaaae” like he’s on Jersey Shore.
You hit the nail on the head with this post, Jill. Seriously, they are like little sponges at this age following you around and copying everything you do. We have to be really careful.
I can relate to looking at DH and saying “Do we do that?” But what baffles me is when he screams “help me!” I mean, how often do I scream “help me” during the day. I seriously don’t know where he learned that! Can I tell you how embarrassing it is to be out and about and have your toddler yell HELP ME!!! I swear someone is going to think I am kidnapping my own son and call the cops!
These comments are so full of win. You guys have me chuckling over here.
I feel like my barely 2 year old son has always been a talker. I honestly don’t remember him NOT talking. Now I’m pregnant with my second and was telling my husband that I needed to change my dress because my arms looked fat. Jude then says while pinching his upper arm, “My arms are fat!” I said, “What?!” and he laughed and said, “Hey, Mom! Look at my arms! They’re skinny!”
It was cute and scary at the same time. In fact it scared me more than him repeating a four letter word! I’ll need to get healthy very quickly after baby girl is born so that they don’t learn to put themselves down. A weird realization…