Wait... they understood that?

I am officially organized for my kids’ 3^rd birthday party. So much to think about. It has my head reeling. No, not the planning, mind you. We’re keeping it pretty simple. No fancy food, no elegant location, no expensive party favors. You know… Costco is catering with chips and dips.  The local supermarket is providing the cake. Like I said, keeping it simple… just the way mommy likes it.
So why is my head reeling? I’m so glad you asked.

I can’t believe they’re turning 3. Weren’t they born yesterday? That’s what it feels like sometimes. And as they get older, I am blown over by the capacity to understand that my children exhibit. And the way this capacity increases daily, or at least it seems to me.

Their sense of imagination has exploded, to the point that when we see a “broken” truck (i.e. the cab of the truck without a trailer attached… all the wires showing) my daughter is convinced that dinosaurs will fix it. She says it with total certainty. She KNOWS that it’s true. My son makes everything into a moving vehicle, makes bent legs mountains and is completely certain that everything he can’t see is hiding somewhere funny.

When Halloween was in the air, they were constantly taking in all the pumpkins and witches and they seemed to be really enjoying it. I had told them about trick-or-treating many times now and I think they got it. Unlike last year, when they had no clue, this year they really enjoyed it. How cool is that? They may even be looking forward to Christmas on some level.

In terms of daily functioning, their expanding comprehension is quite often a blessing. They now grasp a sense of time, when it’s put in terms of events. Recently, when my husband was away, I had a morning off while the babysitter came. When I told the kids I was going “to work”, they looked panicked. (For the record, I wasn’t going to work. I was going to Target, but I wasn’t going to tell them that. They would want to go with me, and the whole point was for me to go ALONE.) I quickly reassured them that I wouldn’t be gone long and that I would be home for lunch. They both paused, dramatically. “Lunch with mommy”, they asked me. “Yes, lunch with mommy” I confirmed. They stared me down for a moment, until they decided that I was to be believed and relaxed. Panic finished… they understood when I was coming home. Well, sort of anyways.

 And as much as I hate to admit it, I like that they now have a good grasp on behavior and consequences. The proof? When I threaten to implement the consequence of an unwanted behavior, that “oh shit” look crosses their faces and they stop. (Well… most of the time anyways). When I was forced to drag them away from a lunch line at a local farm, to the car, they knew why they had to wait for their lunch and couldn’t eat with their friends. They understood that, had they listened to Mommy even remotely, we would not have left. Will they repeat said behaviors? Of course! But that’s evidence of immaturity and impulsivity, not understanding.

 I look forward to watching their understanding expand as they get older and “wiser”. I look forward to observing their reactions and hearing the answers they give to my questions.

Should be interesting!!!