Sometimes it's Awe...

Today I watched in amazement as my son attempted to copy something I had been doing to entertain him for months now. I put a golf ball in a frisbee, and tilt the frisbee back and forth. The golf ball whirs around the edges of the frisbee and eventually falls out... Up until today Tucker would get so frustrated with that golf ball that he would grab it and throw it out of the frisbee. That course of action would tickle me. I could set the golf ball in the frisbee and as soon as he noticed it sitting there he would crawl as fast as he could and get throw the ball off.

Today, though, his little mind had changed. He picked up the frisbee in one hand, and then reached for the golf ball sitting by his leg. His brow furrowed a bit, and his lips stuck out as he concentrated all of his efforts to putting the golf ball "in" the frisbee. After he placed the ball successfully he grabbed both sides, and, very deliberately, started to rotate it back and forth. The ball started to spin, and then it began to glide from side to side. Tucker took it a step further by putting the frisbee in his left hand and flipping it so that the ball would slide around the entire edge, and then he switched hands and repeated the movement.

I sat in awe watching him do this. It just struck me as amazing that he could, at such a young age, begin to mimik people. And then I was struck by another emotion... fear. I began to wonder what other actions he has been watching that might not be so cute if he began to copy them. I know I haven't been perfect, and I know there will be many more times of imperfections, but honestly I hope my son never sees those moments frequently enough that he would ever try to copy them.

I love watching my son's personality begin to take shape. And, unfortunately, I am one of those mothers who laughs when her child misbehaves (only sometimes). I'm definitely trying to work on that with myself- I don't want him to think it's ok to act up... Lately, as in the past couple of weeks, he has taken to really fighting going in his car seat. He squirms and sticks his hips forward, he'll slink down as far as he can go, and make a serious "I'm upset with you" face (and sometimes vocalizes it). So I have to grab him back out of the car-seat and try again to put him in... Well, as soon as I grab him out he gets the biggest grin on his face and he starts to giggle. I just can't help myself, and I start laughing too... Sometimes it's a good reminder to me that I need to slow down a bit, and that it's ok if it takes a couple tries every now and then to get him in his seat... Granted, it is also extremely nice when I don't have to wrestle him in his car-seat...

I guess parenting is a bit of give and take. And I am learning that I need to pick my battles... Sometimes, it really isn't that big of a deal... And sometimes I need to be reminded to take it all in and just realize how big my child is getting, and then there are times where I just need to be able to laugh... at myself and my son!