Let me begin by saying I am very proud of Ethan and Ansley. They are really great kids. They bring an incredible amount of joy to my life. A joy that I could not have imagined before them and simply could not live without now. My World.
And this “Mom” gig – I take it seriously. I believe that you should raise your kids, take care of them, and teach them. Teach them how to be productive, compassionate members of society. Teach them to have respect for others. Teach them what is right and what is wrong. I believe that by bringing them into this World, that it is my obligation to raise them well. I will totally mess it up sometimes, but I dust myself off and keep on trying. This “Mom” gig is hard work, but I LOVE it!

Well, until I mess it up.

This past Friday:
Ethan, Ansley and I stopped at the gas station. I am admittedly a paranoid Mom. As I get out to pump the gas, I let all of the Windows down about half way. The station we are at is very busy. The dvd player was going in the car. The radio was still going up front. Lots of back ground noise. I am enjoying my moment of pumping the gas. The sun is shining…there is a light wind….I am mentally zoning with all of the noise. ALL OF THE SUDDEN I hear a LOT of noise coming from the car. Ethan is laughing hysterically and Ansley is YELLING! It takes a minute to set the gas handle to continue pumping as I finally open the car door. “WHAT ARE YOU YELLING ABOUT!!!??” The door is open. The windows are half way down. Ansley YELLS across me “THAT GUY IS NAAAAAKED!!!!!! NNNNAAAAAKKKKED!!!!!” Ethan is LAUGHING like a hyena at this point! “NAKED! NAKED! NAKED!!!!!” I turn around to see a ‘Good Ol Boy’ with only jeans and flip flops on, pumping gas. If she said ‘NAKED’ once, she said it a hundred times. At this point I am desperately trying to finish pumping the gas. Then she starts again “I SEE HIS BOOBIES AND BELLY BUTTON!!! THAT IS PRIVATE, MAN!!! YOU NEED A SHIRT!!! WHERE IS HIS SHIRT?” Ethan, still laughing, is unknowingly encouraging her. As we hurriedly leave the gas station I am talking strongly to Ansley about being nice and minding her own business. Her response was “Mommy, boobies and belly buttons are PRIVATE. He was not being nice.” UGH…..Glad that lesson on Privacy really stuck…..

By Sunday we had this incident:
Ansley and I were outside doing some gardening. Just the two of us. It was really a nice afternoon. She planted her own little pot of flowers. She also helped me replant some flowers. At one point we took a break on the porch to rest and get something cool to drink. The birds were singing, so Ansley asked me what they were singing about. I said that I did not know. Maybe they were just happy. Ansley said “No. They are singing about Jesus.” Awwww! I am SO proud of Ansley…and myself. Maybe I am doing a good job at this “Mom” gig. Drinking our punch, we watched the cars drive past. “Who is that?” Ansley asked of each car that passed. “Those are our neighbors. But remember, we don’t know them so we call people we don’t know ‘Strangers.'” We are working on knowing the difference between people we know and strangers with Ethan, so I thought, I should touch on this with Ansley. It seemed like the perfect time….

“Who are Strangers?” Ansley asked. “They are just people we don’t know. So remember, we only talk to people we know until Mommy or Daddy tells you that it is okay.” As the cars go past ….”And never talk to a stranger in a car. Even if they have something you like….may be something like candy, a toy, or a puppy…never go up to a Stranger in a car and talk to them.” As I am talking, I make sure that my face is not expressing any stress. I am not trying to spook her, just to inform her. Too Late….

As cars continue to pass, she is hiding behind me on the porch and crying about the ‘BAD’ Strangers. OH SERIOUSLY!!! How did this go wrong? I start over and re-explain. “I did not say that Strangers are BAD. I said they are people we don’t know. Strangers can be very nice people, we just don’t know them yet. Don’t be scared of them, just know that they are not our friends. We do not know them. Mommy does not want you to talk with Grown Up Strangers unless Mommy or Daddy says it is ok.” Her face brightens back up. She stops crying. I think I have fixed this…

“So Strangers aren’t bad. They are nice…but just Strangers?” “Yes, Ansley. I’m sure they are nice, but we just don’t know them.”

As the cars start coming past the house again, Ansley wipes her face and runs to the middle front of the yard. She is now waving at the cars and yelling out “Hi Stranger!!!” as each car passes.

I think this is where I should stop talking.