Hi Baby,

You are only ten weeks old right now, but I’ve already started my obligatory mommy badgering.  We have deep talks on a regular basis… well, usually I do the talking while you listen intently.  I know you probably wont always want to listen to my words of wisdom, so over the course of your life, I will be hounding you not only in conversations, but also in written words so you can reference them whenever necessary. 😉

Here is your first of many lessons to help you through life:

I am your parent, I am not here to be your friend.  I will push you, discipline you, and teach you right from wrong.  There will be times when I will make you angry and you will resent me. Someday, when you are grown up- you will understand.  That’s actually how I’ll know when you have become a man.  When you understand that everything your Daddy and I do is out of love for you.  Despite this, I promise to ALWAYS RESPECT you and LOVE you UNCONDITIONALLY.  And even though I will PUSH you… I will ALWAYS HAVE YOUR BACK.

When I was growing up, every now and again my mother was called to my school because I was in trouble or being accused of something. Maybe once? Twice? She always listened to whoever was making the accusation, then asked me for my side.  She ALWAYS believed ME.  And I never abused that trust.  I told her what I did wrong, and I told her when I was completely innocent.

Yes, I was running in the hallway, but no, I was not unsupervised in the orchestra room in fourth grade.  She also informed the principal that she wished he had been so good at keeping her notified of the time I’d ACTUALLY been pushed off the monkey bars on the playground rather than how I COULD have hurt myself or others today.

And then there was the time in high school that I had been accused of printing off COUNTERFEIT parking passes for the high school parking lot.  I was sixteen, overall a good kid, great student and loved school.  I was called down to the school police officer’s office and I happily skipped in thinking I had maybe lost my car keys or something.  I was bombarded by 3 men- the police, the assistant principal of my school, and the athletic director.  They sat me down in a chair while they hovered over me and told me that I was going to be suspended for making parking passes.  I thought I was being pranked.  I had absolutely NO idea what they were talking about.  Finally, after I was in tears, my mom was called.  I thought she was going to kill me.   She was up to that high school in a flash.  She had FIRE in her eyes.  She marched that assistant principal into his office, berated him for intimidating me and not listening to me, then SLAPPED his leg. Yes- SHE ASSAULTED my principal.  (Your Grandma is kind of a bad ass).  She never even asked me my side- she knew by the look in my eyes that I hadn’t been involved.  Dang. Now that is some motherly instinct.  I have never been so proud (or shocked).  That day I learned the REAL meaning of being a Mama Bear and swore that I would have my kids’ backs someday, the same way she had mine.

I want you to know that this is the kind of family that you come from.

Always be honest with me and I will ALWAYS believe you over ANYONE.

Until next time,

Mama

XOXO