Do you remember when you were younger and most of your friends were dreaming about going off to college and becoming a doctor, a lawyer, a dentist or something of that sort? Well, I never really had big aspirations like that. I always, ALWAYS just wanted to be a mom.  

I would daydream about the endless conversations we would have about whatever it was they wanted to talk about that day. I would imagine us lying around outside, maybe having a picnic at the park and my kid asking about the secrets of life and we would just laugh and talk on and on and on until it was close to dark, and we had to make our way home.  

When my oldest was younger, I remember thinking that I absolutely could not wait until she started talking, more specifically when she would say “Mommy” for the first time. But then she started waddling around saying “Dada, Dada, Dada.” She eventually said “Mommy” and my heart melted.  

BUT then she started saying it quite a lot soon thereafter.  

“Mommy! Mommy! Mommy!” 

Then a couple more little ones got added to the bunch. 

“Mommy! Mommy! Mommy!” times three.  

They of course started picking up other words, as well. Then forming complete sentences. Then asking questions like… “Why is the color blue called blue?” or “Why doesn’t 10 come before 8?” and “Why do we have feet?” It is never-ending.  

And you cannot escape. If you remember, my dream of lying out having a picnic at the park and talking about the secrets of life… Well it turns out that dream has now turned into me wishing I could go to the bathroom alone for five minutes.  

Don’t get me started on when I actually bring them to the park. It is “Mommy, watch this!” over and over and over. Sometimes after I have heard “Mommy” a billion times in five minutes, I will ask them to call me something else (like that ever goes well), then they will commence in yelling for “Poopie Head” or “Dragon Breath” or for my ten-year-old… you guessed it … “Bruh.”  

I know it gets annoying and seems like you’re going to pull all of your hair out most hours of the day, but I will also tell you this… when you lay them down at night and tuck them in and they sleepily whisper “I love you Mommy” I melt into that puddle all over again.  

Sidenote: When your kids are exploring new words outside of “Mommy” don’t curse in front of them because one day when their Kindergarten teacher asks them what word begins with the letter “F” you will be getting a phone call. 

(Paige Gurgainers is a mother of three girls, publisher of Bienville Parish Journal and Claiborne Parish Journal and a digital journalist for Webster Parish Journal.)