You Are So Annoying

I am embarrassed to admit that I shouted that at poor Anna this morning.  In my defense, she really is annoying.  (just kidding...but not really)

When I was a kid my Dad used to call me a haunt.  I never understood what that meant until sweet Anna was born.  The kid is always there!  She never misses an adult conversation, a chance to ask questions, or an opportunity to remind you of something you said weeks ago.  In all fairness, I shouldn't speak in absolutes, because of course I am exaggerating.  But, it does seem like she is always there.  I understand perfectly what my Dad meant now.  As a sidenote: I also vividly recall my oldest brother and sister telling me how much they hoped I would have a kid like myself one day.  <probably much like Anna would, whenever they said that, I would think to myself that I hoped they were right and for good measure, I would wish they would have a kid just like me too!  I understood they were trying to be mean, but it seemed fine to me.>  Poetic justice is how my brother referred to it the last time we talked about it.

So, today, Anna was asking a lot of questions and wanted me to give her something that I was giving her sister (because heaven forbid anyone in this house get something without giving it to everyone).  And, I blurted out the, "you are so annoying" comment.  She went scurrying away and I felt like a heel.

I once read that how you talk to your children when they are young is how you can expect them to talk to you when they are teenagers.  That phrase has stuck with me.  I know that 10 years from now, Anna is going to find me annoying.  And, I know she will not hesitate to tell me.  And, I know that I need to be nicer to my kids. That's a lot of knowledge.  Of course, I do try to be nice to my kids.  I try to remember to treat them kindly and to use nice words with them.  I work to make sure each day the majority of our interactions are positive ones.  And, not to pat myself on the back too much, I think most of the time I succeed.  I know the years are limited where they are going to want to be around me every second of every day (which is how it seems right now), so I try to be patient with them in the hopes that they will be patient with me when the tables are turned in a few years.

To showcase Anna's other side, I could also say she is very smart and incredibly inquisitive.  I love that she wants to know all the details about things and how she retains so much of what we tell her.  She is an amazing child and I am proud to have her for a daughter.