The Burns Family: Year 4 With 3

I can't believe we have lived more years than we have kids since Thomas joined our family. Four years have whizzed by, much like the balls and books and crackers and toys that whizz by my head daily, compliments of our boy. Last year I didn't do a Year 3 with 3 post. I have the notes somewhere, incomplete. That's the story of my life lately - I can't seem to finish much of anything. I think my brain has gotten so used to being interrupted mid-thought that it has forgotten how to carry a thought or idea to completion, so even when I am by myself, it takes me three times longer to do a task than it should or used to.

There are also a lot of words I absorb during the day and that average continues to increase. I wonder if, like men v. women have an average amount of words spoken per day, people can have a maximum amount of words heard before they begin to shut down mentally? I bet that number is different for extroverts v. introverts (me). And by shut down, I mean in the Goldie-Hawn-in-Overboard kinda way, in the corner of the room babbling nonsense with a vacant stare, while children throw grapes at my face kind of shut down. I know I usually hit a point somewhere between 3 and 4:30 pm where I can no longer genuinely listen and I turn my Mom Response Mode on. "Mmmhmm." "Oh, yeah?" "I see!" "That's great." Some days I hit that point before noon. Those are not our best days.

That said, over the year I have collected nuggets of childlike observation from my kids. These are from my kids, ages 10, 7 and 3, and most are not my words. Because I no longer have the brain capacity for many words of my own. Some are things said daily, like a personal mantra. Some are moments of sheer hilarity and others are deep insights from intuitive souls that see things in the world very simply. We have had a big year, with the move, and Thomas going from sleeping in a crib to a bed, potty training completely (night time too, by accident because Daddy would forget to put a diaper on at bedtime) and now not even nappping. He's gone from toddler to preschooler very quickly. Too quickly. I am at once celebrating no diapers after a decade of diapering, and mourning no naptime after a decade of naptimes. We are truly entering a season of our family that we have not yet known. And we are really excited about it.

At any rate, here are words from our kids that give a glimpse at what the past year has been like:

"Nancy, where are your glasses?!?!"*

"Mom, look at what I 'bless you-ed' out of my nose."

"Mom, do you ever feel like crying but you don't know why?"

"Would you rather live in a smelly sock or under water?"

"Under water."

"Ok...but the water is in the smelly sock...."

"Nancy, come get your glasses!!!"

"No, Thomas, you need to put your hot dog in the trash can not in the potty."

"Mom, you 'member when you were potty trainin' me? And I wore diapers?! I was such a baby."

"MOOOOOOM! Can you WIPE ME?!?!?"

"Thomas, if you are going to pee pee outside, just do it in the backyard."