I thought I had years before this attitude started

I'm already embarrassing. 

I thought this story was a little funny. Tony didn't.

We left Bailey's dance class one Wednesday afternoon, and I had the song stuck in my head that they had been dancing to. This, in itself, is a daily occurrence. Tony will sometimes come home and sing a couple notes of a random song and wait to see how long it is before I'm singing the song out loud. Then he'll just laugh and say, "it's too easy."

Anyway, the song they are most likely dancing to at their recital in the spring is When I wear my magic tutu. It's very catchy. I started singing it as I was buckling her in and she said, "Mommy, don't sing that." When I asked why not, she said, "there are a lot of people. You're embarrassing me."

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha.

It made me wonder if she thinks it's embarrassing because I'm singing at all, or if she already knows that I'm not a good singer. I didn't ask for clarification. Sometimes, it's best not to know.

When I told the story to Tony at the dinner table, he firmly told her, "Bailey Kay, that shouldn't embarrass you. It doesn't matter what other people think. You shouldn't be embarrassed about that sort of thing."

I still don't know which was the best approach, laughing or telling her not to be embarrassed. Part of me feels like it's a natural emotion that at least she can express, and part of me thinks Tony might be right and this might be a way to build her confidence. I don't have much of that myself, and I've joked that Tony has enough for both of us, so maybe seeing both reactions was what was best. Only time will tell.

Most specialist mommy in the world

Every once in awhile, I get the chance to lay down with Bailey before she falls asleep. One night as I laid there, she endlessly chattered to keep herself awake. After talking about the most random things, she said, "Mommy, I'm glad Daddy didn't marry anybody else. I wouldn't want any other mommy. You're the most specialist mommy in the world." It's times like these that give me zero doubts that I am in fact the luckiest mommy in the world.

Then there are the other times

There are a couple days every week (not always the same ones) that seem to be harder than the others; days when I feel like all I have done is say "no" or tell the kids what they're doing wrong. I don't know if they are just testing my patience or if I'm doing something wrong or what, but it was one of those days when I told Bailey she needed to learn to play nicely with her brother. This was said in an agitated, why-have-I-had-to-say-this-so-many-times-today kind of way, and Bailey responded with, "Why don't you try speaking nice to me and see what happens?"

I couldn't fully suppress a laugh as I tried to explain that I had asked too many times and my patience was wearing thin and that's why I was talking the way I was. But she had a point, and she does respond better to reason than to tough love. I'm still trying to find a balance between, "I'm the mom" and "good point; well done."