I'm talkin' here

Sorry I haven't talked in a while.  Michelle is here visiting and if I have the choice between sitting down and hashing out our day together or with the computer....the laptop loses every time. Michelle came on the fourth of June- the day after our Internet connection suffered a crippling blow. So for a long, long six days, we had no chance to hop online.  Not even borrowing a neighbor's network as this new, nifty Mac your dad bought for me has been challenging when it comes to oh-so-gently bending the rules. 

Callum and Katie are here and you've gotten along like a house afire. Sure, there have been the anticipated blow ups about someone touching Callum's trains or Eleanor going ballistic, but that's just to be expected. Grace keeps putting on her general's cap and trying to tell everyone what to do, Jordan hangs back and just cringes every time the herd of big kids come clumping through the room and Katie has the most adorable habit of giggling and squealing, "Mommy!" each time she sees or hears her mum. 

That's what Michelle says, "Mum." Not sure why that's relevant now, but I just felt like telling you.  We've been talking a lot this week about you guys and what we want to tell you...

So my handy, dandy piece of advice for you later on in life- just shush and listen to the story.  I'm finding more and more that conversations are turning into competitions.  NOT with your Aunt Michelle, but other people.  Callum is this brilliant kid who looks up the water spicket to see where the water is coming from and can tell you all the planets at three- he's incredibly bright! And I love hearing about Mark reading these great books to him.  Us? We read a bit, veg a bit, sing a bit and love on you. Not going to get you into Harvard, so if you miss the Ivy League you can trace it back to our lackadaisical approach to your preschool years. 

But I'll talk to another preschool mom about the kids and what's seems like an innocuous question from another parent about your development turns into a "oh yeah? Well MY kid can do this!" that tires me out.  Even chit chats with random people in public have turned into contests about what their kid can do better than my kid.  (And for the record, nobody wears cool shoes like you guys!)  I just smile, congratulate the other person on what an incredible kid/grandkid they have and tell them they must be proud. They don't need to know that you guys color like Picasso and cook up the best pancakes ever. 

So let me back track for a minute. I think what I'm trying to tell you to do is listen. Really listen to the other person and what they're trying to tell you. Don't think of what you're going to say in response, don't think of some one upmanship comment, but just listen to what they're saying.  You don't always have to have a better story, a similar event, or know someone who had the same experience. Give your story teller their due and just shut up and listen.  Your brain can pay attention to the story teller by asking relevant questions and you get the added bonus of having the story teller think you are fascinating.

I'm telling you, this is sage advice. In twenty years, you'll wish you'd read this more than once.