Mommy Quirks

It struck me the other day that, as a stay-at-home mom, I have acquired a few learned behaviors...or quirks, from having very little adult interaction.  My oldest daughter left the bathroom door open (which is a no-no in this house now that we have babies that like to climb toilets, unravel toilet paper, and use the plunger as a weapon,) and I confronted her.

"Did you just go potty?"

She looked at me, raised her eyebrows, and repeated, "potty?" 

This was the moment it dawned on me...there are quite a few things that I need to work on before entering the workforce again someday.  The general reference to the restroom, for one thing, as the "potty."  And, probably the fact that whenever something good happens, I clap my hands and say an enthusiastic "yea!"  Or, from all the years of rocking and soothing babies, the tendency to begin swaying back and forth if I'm standing in one spot for too long.  I suppose, judging by the grin I always get from my husband and older children, I don't really need to be cutting their sandwiches anymore.  It could be worse...I could be cutting them into dinosaurs or butterflies, like the little ones....I only cut their's in half.

I couldn't hold a conversation with someone about what happened on the last episode of  "Lost."  Or even "House," which was one of my favorites.  I could, however, go into a lengthy conversation analyzing why Diego and Dora's parents never seem to be around while they are out on dangerous adventures.   Or how I think that there's something going on between Handy Manny and Kelly, the owner of the hardware store, because it seems she "always has what he needs."  ((snicker))  Ok, see?  Now that's just not right.

I suppose I need to try and look at how my time at home with five children will benefit me someday in the workforce.  I suppose I've also acquired some useful skills.  Adaptation, for one thing.  I am required to always be adapting to changing conditions.  I have fairly good reflexes now, although I'm not sure what kind of job I would be doing that would require that.  Catching juice cups that are shoved off of trays, grabbing a boy about to do a wicked freefall from an end table, or saving my favorite magazine from being torn to shreds do not seem like things you'd write on a resume. 

Oh well.  I suppose the first step is admitting I have a problem, right?  I've done that...and I still have a few more years until all of the kids are in school.  I'm not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing.