I'll Never See You Again

Yep.  They're mine.

Back in the day when I didn't know anything, I used to think that you could judge parents by the way their kids turned out or by what they did.  Oh, how wrong I was.

For the past few months, Skyler has had a favorite phrase.  He uses it when I send him to time out.  He uses it when I tell him to eat the rest of his dinner.  He even uses it when he's happy and it's just such a habitual saying to him that it just slides out for no reason at all. 

"I'll never see you again!!!"

To which I either reply with, "Skyler, that's not very nice.  You need to say sorry,"  or "Alright.  Have fun changing your own diapers."  It usually depends on how many times he's used that phrase in the last hour and how exhausted I am. 

Where he learned this phrase, I have zero idea.  We've tried the time out thing.  And then if he yells it again while he's in time out he gets an extra minute.  This has landed him in time out for 10ish minutes several times, and over half an hour one horrible time. 

Then on some desperate days I actually consider telling Skyler that I'll never see him again while I leave them at home with Ben for a few hours.... just enough to shake him up, you know?



But then I think about how depressing life would be without my Little Handsome.  Who would need snuggles after naptime?  Who would have a potty mouth every time he gets excited when a truck goes by, just because he can't say the "tr" and replaces it with an "f"?"  Who would get all melted everytime we see any kind of animal?

The truth is that I hate him saying it because that is my biggest fear.  I can't imagine life without my kids, and even though a 2 year-old can't see everything clearly, I know that there are moments when he truly thinks life would be better without me. 

From what I know, Skyler is a reincarnated Ben, both in looks and temperment.  So Skyler, when karma gets around and you have have a Skyler, Jr., I want you to read this and remember that it'll be worth it to get through the colic, the 16 months of not sleeping through the night, and the many shouts of "I'll never see you again!"  Oh, and also that you should never stop seeing me.  Because I'm pretty sure of 2 things: 1) We would really miss each other.  And 2) If you have a baby with as big of cheeks as yours, you won't have a choice as to whether you'll see me or not.  I'll be around.