Little Sponges

I'm pretty sure I've blogged about how amazing it is to me that kids are like little sponges. I've found that my kids absorb just about everything I "put out", so to speak. Here are 2 ways I have really noticed this lately...

Mia is an absolute sponge when it comes to my mood. She absorbs and then acts out whatever that mood may happen to be. I believe all kids are like this to a certain extent, but Mia seems to be especially so. This fact is compelling me to be extra careful in how I display my mood whenever she's around-- if I don't, well I pay for it later! Oftentimes, this requires a lot of self-restraint and curtailing how I'd REALLY like to act. While this is downright annoying and exasperating in the moment, when (and if) I get a moment to reflect later, I think it's pretty amusing and ironic that it takes a little 2 year old to cause me to exert a little self control!

I love it that my kids pick up words and phrases that they hear from us. While this isn't always the most wonderful thing in the world, most of the time it's pretty cool. Lately Mia has taken to using nicknames for Maggie and me. She'll say "Mags" which she hears me call Maggie, but even better is when she calls me "Biscuits". Pretty much anyone who knows us has heard Gabe frequently use his term of endearment for me...Biscuits. I don't really know how it even started! Our friend Matt just can't get over that my nickname is Biscuits-- he has presented the case that my nickname should be "Chips" because Gabe and I initially met over a bowl of chips. Sorry Matt, Biscuits it is!