I would describe the situation as eerily accurate, with their imitations of their big brother being spot-on. As the minutes passed, they didn't stop at the one child who was absent. Each child took turns doing the voices and spouting famous catch phrases of each sibling.
The kids were giggling and snorting from the back seat, each trying to think of ways to become another person. Mark and I sat up front, unable to contain our own laughter. Listening to them pretend to be each other was like taking a special glimpse into their sibling club, a place to which we don't normally have access. It was adorable.
That's when the tables turned. Somebody shouted, "Let's do Mom!"
I don't even remember whose suggestion it was. Probably Mark's.
Wow, were they ever eager to have free range to mimic their mom, without fear of being in trouble for their mockery. We opened the gates, and they ran right through them.
The very first words to come out of my daughter's mouth, in a bossy, high-pitched tone, were, "Don't you make that face at me! I hope you don't look at your teachers that way."
Again, precisely correct in her execution. The whole car burst into howls, each person gasping for air through the unforgiving laughter.
Chip announced, "Mom says that to me, too. She just said it to me last night!"
Kids started chiming in with more Mom-isms. While we all cracked up, I paid close attention to what they were saying. Nobody was immune, so Dad was the final act. The kids nailed him, too.
The ride from the restaurant only lasted about fifteen minutes. It was a quick spurt of hilarity and goofiness and a great release of tension for everybody. On the other hand, I learned quite a bit about how our kids view us. What we say that sticks in their minds. How they hear our voices, our tones and even which of our actions make an impact on them.
When we pulled into the garage, we all took deep breaths, gathered our composure and walked back into the house together. Overall, the experience was awesome. I don't know if we could ever recreate the genuineness of it, the openness of it or the realness of how my kids depicted me in those few moments. I will say that I'm so glad it happened the way that it did. It unfolded in such a natural way, and I love that I was able to let it all come out.
If you ever have a chance to see or hear your kids imitate you, I highly encourage it. You never know what they'll say, but I'm sure it'll be an eye-opening experience for everyone. It may not happen in a car, and I'm not saying that you should change who you are because of it, but you will probably be more conscious of the effect you are having on your family.
Of course, some Mom-isms are just critical and timeless. I'm sure when our kids become parents, they'll be barking at their own kids, "Don't you make that face at me! I hope you don't look at your teachers that way."
What Mom or Dad-isms do you say on a regular basis? Do you even realize you're saying them? I didn't even know I was using my famous line so much. Ask your kids: they know.
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