You sound like your mother

Dinner is usually a chaotic time at our household. Bill and I are trying hard to keep the boys in line. The other night, though, TJ was really pushing our buttons. At one point, Bill lost his temper and said to TJ, "You are cruising for a bruising, mister!"

I started to snicker. Then Bill started to laugh. He commented that him mom always used to say that. I thought he sounded exactly like my own mother. TJ had no idea what that phrase meant, or why Bill and I thought it was so funny, but at least it distracted him for while.

The very next day, I was folding laundry and listening to Sam and Nolan play. The play turned fairly quickly into squabbling. Nolan wanted something and Sam wouldn't give it to him. Sam seemed to be taking pleasure out of torturing his little brother. Eventually, I intervened. Or...was it my mother?

I told Sam, "You don't like it when your big brother treats you that way, so you shouldn't treat your little brother that way. Treat others the way you want to be treated."

Ugh. We've both become our mothers!