They say having a baby changes everything. But, did it have to change how I speak?
Picture this scene. It is Christmas Day, and our family is gathered in our home to celebrate. It is our first Christmas in this new house. Everyone is bustling about, setting the table, opening gifts, admiring the fire in the fireplace. The kids and their cousins are running around the living room, pumped up on the excitement of Christmas and the good smells coming from the kitchen. My mother-in-law and sister-in-law have both brought extra dishes to add to the meal, and my brother-in-law is helping me coordinate warming everything up in our small oven.
I close the oven door with a small bang, straighten up and turn to him. “Once the yammies are done, we can take them out and add the broccoli casserole.” I realized it as soon as I said it.
“The yammies?” he asked.
“Um. well. yes,” I replied. And we both burst out laughing.
Fortunately, my brother-in-law has two children of his own and immediately understood where that word yammies came from. Spending pretty much all day, every day, with three young children, two of whom are three years old or younger, has had its effect on me.
I have long ago resigned myself to the changes brought about through parenting. I no longer have time or the energy to prep and pamper myself. I live in jeans and sneakers, and I haven’t had a decent haircut in ages. The joy of parenting my brood has replaced those other little niceties in life. But, as someone with a degree in English Literature, and a career as a freelance writer, this latest development hits a little too close to home. On the other hand, isn’t home where the heart is?
What changes in yourself have you noticed since becoming a parent?
Mary Ann Romans writes about everything related to saving money in the Frugal Blog, technology in the Computing Blog, and creating a home in the Home Blog. You can read more of her articles by clicking here.
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