Good morning Everyone!
Kayla came to live with us the year I turned 40. She was three. I noticed immediately that I was usually the oldest mother in any gathering, but I didn’t know that Kayla had noticed it too.
The year she turned five her day care held a Mother’s Day lunch, and of course I went. I arrived bright and early with my camera, to find the tables neatly decorated with tablecloths, flowers planted in styrofoam cups for decoration, and signs taped to each chair. The signs were drawn by each child, and were meant to mark their mother’s place. I found my place adorned with the following sign:
It said:
My Mom is 100 years old.
She has Brown hair and brown eyes.
My mom’s favorite color is all colors.
She likes to eat salad the best.
I make my mom happy when I hug her.
My mom always says I love you.
My mom is so smart she can read.
I love it when my mom and I hug.
I laughed until I cried over the age; it was even funnier when I overheard one mother, who was roaming the tables looking at the signs tell another mother “Oh, look, that mom’s child put her age at 80” and the other mom say, “Well, some poor woman’s child listed her age at 100!”
It won’t surprise anyone out there, I am sure, to learn that the sign is still in my closet, hidden away for posterity.
Have a great day everyone!
Nancy
Tales from the Mom-Side 
It just goes to show, our kids do not care about our age…just how much we love them. : ) I would still have the sign too!
Yes; I also kind of understood the thought process that led to her assigning the age of 100 – she knew from observation that I was always the oldest parent in the group, so she assigned me an age that she felt would ensure that I kept that honorable ranking. 🙂
I read your blog every day. I really enjoy your tales of your daughter.
Hi Lee!
It’s good to hear from you. I’m glad you enjoy it when I write about my daughter, since she is one of my favorite topics to write about! I hope everything is well with you.
Beautiful! It’s funny how they think of age in their little world! Those are precious momentos!
Yes, whenever you get the chance to peek inside your child’s/children thought processes, it’s always amazing – sometimes funny, sometimes scary, but always amazing!
I love this post Nancy! You are not doing too badly for someone who is 100 years old 🙂
Thank you; that’s what I thought!
What kills me is how my kids notice that other moms put on makeup and wear nice clothes. On the rare occasion I fix myself up, they say, “Wow!”
Kayla does that some, too.
Oh my, I love this!! That is hilarious. Little kids are so amazing, they are so innocent, they say whatever they think and believe. Angels. But don’t feel bad, I’ve got you beat. Sophia is 3 going on 4 and I’m 42.
All right; hang on while I do some kitchen math; you’re right; I was 40 when Kayla was three, so you do have me beat by 2 years. I never would have guessed that from your pictures though!
OMG. I’m only 41. (Why did I just age myself a year? Sao Paulo makes one FEEL older.) So we were pretty close. But I can relate, although both in NYC and here the mom seem to be a bit older. However, I am usually the oldest mom.
Kayla’s pre-school, at least, had some Moms that looked comparatively younger. Or maybe it was just that they used make-up more frequently than I do….