1.) How do your kids remind you of your own siblings growing up?
When I was young we wrestled.
Your shoulder brushed mine a little too firmly as you pass me in the hallway?
I tackle you.
My Mom did her best to control us, but when you have six kids and they’re preoccupied with tackling each other in the play room, well…you thank God you have some time to yourself and you finish another load of laundry.
As we got older my brother was particularly annoying. When he wanted to annoy us he would walk right up, put his finger inches away from our faces and repeat, “I’m not touching you, I’m not touching you, I’m not touching you,”
And it’s true, he wasn’t touching us, but was baiting us into hitting him so that he could have a reason to fight. We had to use all the mental energy it took to ignore him and/or try to beat him at his own game.
Kainoa is a lot like his uncle when it comes to pestering the crap out of his sisters. And unlike my own mother, I can’t really tune out the wrestling so that kind of physical contact is basically forbidden. I also don’t put up with mean names. Where “stupid, dork, dummy, and loser” were common vernacular when I was young, here they are not tolerated.
The water got murky on name calling when Maile was about four years old, she called her sister a name and then told me she was talking to the wall.
“You’re MEAN and you’re a BABY!….I’m talking to da wall mom.”
Kainoa makes up names to call people that really wouldn’t be all that offensive if he wasn’t dripping with venom as he screamed them. “Oh yeah!?! Well you’re a CRY DIAPER!!!”
I was stuck in the car with the kids during a recent verbal battle and listened in as the girls had enough of their pestering brother and brought the name calling to a new, interesting level, “Okay Chelsea. Whatever you say…”
“Yeah Chelsea.”
“Buckle your seat belt Chelsea.”
Naturally I had to step in, “Girls, why are you calling your brother Chelsea? That’s hurting his feelings.”
(A conversation I never would have imagined having pre-kids)
“BECAUSE…he does mean and horrible things to us to make us angry!”
And then Kainoa was all, “No! You’re the mean ones!”
And they were all, “Whatever CHELSEA.”
And he was all, “Okay Barbie! Okay Skipper! Go back to your house Barbie and Skipper!”
And as the mom I know I need to be mature and squash this ridiculous name calling, but Barbie and Skipper? This was so good!
I wish I could say I was able to sit the children down and have a good talk about how we treat each other. But I never really learned how to do that.
I just tackled them instead.
Ruth A Stiles says
I had younger brothers (3 years and 10 years younger) and I never really “Tackled” them so to say. However we did have your sibling rivalries and mish-mashes. My boys on the other hand (who are 29 months apart) love to wrestle. They will be sitting quietly watching tv and when the commercials pop up they immediately gravitate towards the middle of the floor and become a tangle of arms and legs and boo-boos.
Mama Kat says
Maybe it is the age difference…when I was growing up we couldn’t keep our hands to ourselves either.
Andrea says
So good. Calling each other by the wrong name is the ultimate insult. My older brother and I fought about everything, and it often got physical – punching and kicking, mostly. Once he threw a rock at my head and I required stitches. I’m not sure how my parents survived.
Mama Kat says
My brother came at me with a bat once…you know that part on Dumb And Dumber when Jim Carrey’s all, “Lloyd???? Lloyd you have that crazy look in your eyes!!!”…totally what I was thinking as I ran from him.
BalancingMama (Julie) says
Love. Tackling solves a lot of problems, doesn’t it?
Mama Kat says
It sure makes me feel a lot better! ;)
Kerry says
Suddenly I feel like I missed opportunities to pummel my siblings when I was young.
Mama Kat says
I’ll tell you what, you can come over and I’ll tackle you repeatedly to make up for lost time.
The lovely one says
My kids also make up names, so they can call each other names without really calling them anything. My daughter’s favorite is, “Get out of my room! You’re such a BLOBBER FACE!”
Mama Kat says
Maile started calling Kainoa “Grandma” awhile back and that made him SO mad!! lol They crack me up.
Allie says
Okay, we could switch out your kid’s names for two of mine! I wish I could tune it out as well. The bickering drives me nuts.
On another note – I love the new look!
Mama Kat says
I can only handle so much bickering. I took care of my niece and nephew for a summer and I swear 100% of their time together was spent arguing. I had to physically separate them into different rooms just to keep them from pestering each other. It was awful. So when my kids have their moments I just remind myself that it could be worse…and then I send them to their rooms.
And thanks! I’m loving it too…so much easier to read!
laura says
This cracks me up. Like you, I know I need to be the mature person when my kiddos decide to be heathens, but sometimes the situation is bigger than me, and wrestling and tickles are completely in order.
Mama Kat says
Totally. These kids bring out the best in me for sure. ;)
Melanie @ M&M says
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the new layout! Fabuloso!
Mama Kat says
Thank you, me too! I think it’s easier to read and navigate! I just wish I had done it sooner!
Tima says
If you tackle your younger brother when he’s a kid, and then he grows up to be a well-rounded, and strong, adult, you get to claim credit for that. Had you not tackled him, he might’ve grown up to be a wuss! ;)
Mama Kat says
Yes very true! And honestly, my brother can be such a jerk sometimes I just think back to our childhood and wish I had tackled him HARDER. lol
Miriam Gomberg says
How I miss the days of “I’m not touching you” with my sister. My favorite was when we would drive to Solvang from Santa Barbara (where I grew up) and I would exclaim, “look Laura! It’s the mountains!!”
She was terrified of the mountains and would always cry as a result. Good times…
Mama Kat says
Oh my gosh, you were definitely MY kind of gal. That is exactly the kind of stuff I did to my siblings too. The good ol’ days!
May says
Because tackling? Now, there is a skill you had mastered! Great piece. And you have to admit, sometimes talking with those siblings IS like talking to the wall. So, maybe she was speaking metaphorically, the little genius!
The new look is terrific. Feels so light.
Mama Kat says
Tackling is a wonderful skill to have on hand. I dare someone to approach me in a dark parking lot…I would win. Never mind I take that back…don’t approach me in a dark parking lot.
And I’ll admit, I thought the “talking to a wall” thing was pretty brilliant at the time too. Smart little girl!
And thank you for the design compliment! Light and cleaned up, so glad I made the change!
carol says
First of all, I need to tell you how much I LOVE your new blog look! It’s attractive and friendly.
I love the idea of tackling and wrestling to get the point across. I might have to try that one on a couple of the grandkids! Can you imagine grandma running, flying through the air, tackling, and wrestling a 14 year old boy! That should be quite the spectacle and put an end to name calling once and for all, don’t you think?
Mama Kat says
Thank you! I’m loving the new change too. What took me so long!?!
And yes, I definitely think a tackling grandmother is exactly what the internet needs. Please be sure to have a camera rolling on that one! ;)
Abby says
Oh, THAT’s funny! Calling him Chelsea?! Where does that name even come from??
My older brother and I usually got along, but when we didn’t, we just punched and hit each other and my mom would have to break us up.
Now my kids just verbally argue, and I’m all “just punch him and get it over with”, only to myself, of course!
I like the new digs!
Mama Kat says
Seriously…sometimes I think Kainoa would settle down if someone would just man up and shove him!
Janice Trinh says
That is just too funny. I’ve been lucky so far that my kids have not learned to name call. I think they know I would not put up with it. Tackling, however, I can’t stop. I blame my husband. He wrestles with them. Who am I to stop his bonding sessions? But then the kids go at it too – luckily though, just for fun.
My younger brother and I was different story. Tackling was like WWF time at our house! I’m not sure my mom ever broke us up from those. I think I won most of the time. Yep, I was older and bigger and I used it to my full advantage! Now, I wouldn’t think of wrestling my little brother. I’m 5′ 7′ and he’s 5′ 10″. WTF?! When did he grow up?!!
P.S. Love the new blog look!
Mama Kat says
I think since we had two girls first wrestling didn’t become something they did, and I’m glad because Kainoa breaks enough stuff in this house just in regular play. I would have nothing left standing if he was a wrestler too! ;)
Adrienne says
My brother and I NEVER fought – it is, as I realize now having raised two, completely weird that we never did. VERY repressed household growing up…but that’s a story for another time. I was always happy when my kids let it out and bickered or fought…cause I knew that was how they were going to forge a life long closeness. I didn’t get in the middle, or really pay that much attention to it….but they were allowed to argue for sure. Did NOT want a repeat of my house growing up. Also … LOVE the new look! Very clean, and still very you. Great font choice for the header!
Mama Kat says
I’m actually impressed that you were able to get along so well! Or would you just too afraid to bring the wrong kind of attention if you were caught arguing? I definitely think it’s healthy for kids to be able to express how they’re feeling and work through them!
Dominique Goh says
Super love the new clean, sleek look of the blog. Only have an elder sister so there wasn’t so much bickering and fighting as my 3 monsters do with each other. We did fight but nothing as violent as the kids now.
Mama Kat says
Thank you! I’m loving the new look too. A breath of fresh air after all that red. :)
My sisters and I bickered a lot, it was good training for what I deal with now from my three!
Lisa @ The Meaning of Me says
Kinda wondering if we would have been better off to try the tackling method for problem management…hmm..
Unrelated…why can’t I find the thingie with the code stuff for the Writer’s Workshop button? I’m either totally blind or…? Just going to copy one from an old post. But seriously, why can’t I see it?
Mama Kat says
If anything it just feels really good to slam into something…maybe I need to boxing bag.
I forgot about those buttons! You’re not crazy, Maybe I’ll hit up Cyn to design a couple new ones for me!
BeaderBubbe says
I apologize for the multi links…having computer problems…said there was an error when I posted, but when I returned to your blog, there were 3 links of mine….I only clicked submit once…….:(