We are WOLVERINES!!!

We usually try to have at least one family night a week so that we can catch up with the kids and just hang out together.  This usually consists of cooking some sort of fun meal and eating at the table together. We play a game called "Hi-Lo," which is where we go around the table and each person tells their high from that day followed by their low.  We have found it gives us a little insight as to what our kids face in school everyday.  After the meal, we typically watch a movie, usually some sort of inspirational or wholesome movie that we will all enjoy. But finding something that the hubs and I enjoy, as well as all the other ages ranging from 15 to 7 years old.  NOT always easy!

Well... the red box was void of anything that we had not seen or were interested in, save one.  The new remake of "Red Dawn" was in and I thought it would be fun to see it and compare to the version I watched as a kid.  The rating was PG-13, so I figured it was a fairly safe choice considering ou three seven year olds would typically get bored with something that was not animated and leave the room less than half way through.

Ahem... notice i said "typically."  Well, not last night!!! They were very interested in the band of kids that were fighting to save their homeland.

Not to give too much of the movie, but there is one scene in which they blow up some strategic portion of the enemy stronghold.  Just before it blows up, one of the kids catches the eye of the bad guy and gives him the "bird" while screaming "Wolverines!"  And at the time, I did not think much about it given the fact that the little ones have never really seen that gesture used and were not aware of the meaning. 

All I can say is IT NEVER FAILS!!! The one portion you would love for them to ignore or forget they saw is ALWAYS the one that they key in on.  And would we have it any other way??

This morning the hubs was driving the three little ones and our 13 year old to church.  The 15 year old and I had already left and gotten there early to do our praise and worship run through.  I was in the restroom when one of my girls comes in looking slightly distraught.  (Note this is not the daughter that is typically overly dramatic!)  She came up and hugged me and I started with the normal round of questions... "What's wrong?"  "What happened?" "Did you get in trouble?"  To all of which she just stood there looking a little sheepish and teary-eyed. 

Finally, she steps back and shoots me "the bird" and says "Wolverines!"
And it was as if a light bulb went off in my brain.  I got it!  I left the restroom in search of the hubs to get the 4-1-1 on what exactly had happened.  And it seemed that they were all in the backseat of the truck shooting each other the middle finger and saying "Wolverines!"

And I really hope it does not make me a bad mother seeing as how I chuckled a little at the whole idea of the conversation.  So now I guess our wholesome family nights have become the place our kiddos learn to give obscene gestures and scream taglines at one another. 

All I can say is at least they were not punching each other in the face and calling each other really bad names!

"Mommy... Am I A Nerd?"

My oldest daughter came to me with this question this morning.  To bring everyone up to speed, she is 7 years old and has recently had to start wearing glasses.  I blame genetics, but that is beside the point.  For several weeks, we had received notes home from her first grade teacher stating that our daughter had to be moved up to be able to see the board and that she had noticed her squinting a lot.

Well... that was it... we made an appointment at the optometrist and sure enough, she needed glasses. 0-0  

Anyone that knows my daughter knows that she can be, well lets just say, a BIT dramatic when it comes to certain things.  No exceptions here.  It took us nearly an hour to consider all of the options for different styles, brands, colors, shapes, etc. before we finally settled on a pair that was pink and purple and are able to twist and change on the sides from stars to hearts.

 ** Please note: This was the selling point that got her, and the saleswoman was keenly aware that they were the most expensive pair in the children's section! She even talked my daughter out of the Disney Princess pair because Sleeping Beauty was our favorite and she was somehow NOT included in the little picture on the glasses. Clever lil' minx of a saleswoman!!!**

Back to this morning... She brought me a sheet of paper from the school that stated they are having a "Fun Week" next week in preparation for the skills testing the following week.  Needless to say, one of the days is "Nerd Day." (Which I must say lacks originality and has been done millions of times!)  And on the sheet of paper next to where it said "Nerd Day" was a pair of glasses.  Well, my sweet little girl, who would NEVER over react to something like this, starts to tear up and says... "Mommy, am I am nerd since I wear glasses?"

I had to put on my thinking cap and come up with something very quickly, but it was still very early and I was not even through with my first cup of coffee. So I was not quick enough.

The tears started to well up...

Still welling up...

Starting to form HUGE puddles in her eyes that have yet to trickle down her face....

FINALLY... ENORMOUS tears start to plunge down her face. 

I am still standing there... like a doofus... trying to figure out a good way to explain that wearing glasses does most definitely NOT make you a nerd, but alas, I got nothin.  The feeling of being a failure as a mom started to crawl up into my brain.  Like.. "You really suck... you cannot even come up with a good reason to explain this to your daughter! All the other GREAT moms would have made her feel like a beauty queen now... and even the GOOD moms would have made her stop crying."

Nope... Not me! 

Finally, I hugged her tight and told her I loved her and that if glasses made her a nerd, she was the cutest nerd I had ever laid eyes on.  We stood there for several minutes.  She cried and I just held her.  

Then, in all of her infinite 7 year old wisdom, she says, "Well, at least they aren't broken with tape in between the eyes like (name omitted) in my class! Then I would look REALLY nerdy!" And she started to laugh. 

Then, she looked at me and said, "You are the bestest mommy ever!"

So TAKE THAT perfect moms!

Truth is, as long as we are showing our children love and acceptance in the home, they will learn to love and accept. I didn't have all the right words or any imaginative pinterest worthy way to give her an example of how to make her glasses cooler.  BUT... in the end, I think I handled it the exact way she needed me to!