Is it too late to tell my kids that "Mommy" is a 4-letter word?? (Okay, it's 5 letters, but you get the point)

I wish I had a buck (hell, a nickel would make me wealthy) for each and every time I hear, "Mommy" throughout the day. And I don't mean the kind of "Mommy" that is followed by a valid question or statement...I am talking about the "Mommy" that I hear over and over and over and...(you get the point) simply because one of the kids needs to hear their own voice.

And, by the way, why is it that those silly young-folk (insert wink and a te-ha-giggle) feel the need to talk ALL the time??? More on this one later...

Anyway, back on track here...Who in God's name thought it would be smart to teach kids to say "Mommy" as one of their first words??? Seriously, whoever this was had NO kids attached to them 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 4 weeks a month, 52 weeks a year...Oh, I have gone a little too far again, huh?? LOL For real, though, those of you with kids know exactly what I am saying...and those of you who know MY kids (especially a certain 5 year old who shall remain nameless) have witnessed first-hand what I am talking about. It starts first thing in the morning and does not stop til the (Thank you, Lord) point in each day when the kids have to go to bed. Don't get me wrong, I have said it before and I'll say it again, "I LOVE MY KIDS!!"...

My whole point here is this...basically, as a Mom, you hear some form of the "M-word" many, many times over the course of your life. When it first starts...you know, the "mama" thing...it is SO awesome, and you call all your friends and family to spread the news. A couple years go by, and "mama" becomes "Mommy". Cool, yes, that your little ones actually use (and understand) real words; however, at what point does that word (Mommy) become the ONLY word your child seems to know??? Okay, maybe not the ONLY word, cuz you have to take into account the other word used WAY too much by kids...you know, the "n-word". So, basically, kids go through a couple years in which the only words they seem to say are "Mommy" and "No"...

Each day would be something like this:

No, Mommy, I don't want that...No, Mommy, I will not get out of the bathroom while you pee...No, Mommy, I don't want to take a nap...No, Mommy, I'm not hungry...No, Mommy, I don't want to go yet, because I'm hungry...No, Mommy, I don't want to eat that (even though it's what you asked for...)No, Mommy, I don't need to go pee...No, Mommy, I can't brush my teeth yet, because I have to pee...No, Mommy, I don't want to wear any pants for bed...No, Mommy, I don't want to get in bed without any pants...And so on and so forth...

Not that ANY of those are examples from my daily life...

So, going back to the "talking ALL the time" issue I mentioned a few paragraphs back, I must vent. Really, I am just sharing this next part so that both kids get equal "playing" time on this field...

The eldest of the Mann children loves to play video games. And, I don't mean that in the typical "wow, I love that game" sense. I mean, the boy would sit all day, everyday in front of the Wii...like 16-18 hours a day!! The scary thing is, he is REALLY, REALLY good at just about any game he tries to play. As a parent, it is hard to tell your kid to stop and "go play with your brother for a little while" when you know they are doing the thing they are good at doing...right? BUT...isn't there always a "but"??? In my house, that request is made for one reason, and one reason, only...

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The suspense is getting to ya, isn't it???

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The eldest "Gamer" child prodigy NEVER stops talking while he is playing games. He sits here and talks to the characters, talks to the obstacles, talks to his remote, talks to anyone and anything that might (or might not, actually) listen!! It is really annoying. So, I find myself actually requesting the madness and volume of 2 boys playing than the non-stop banter my son has with the Wii...Seriously, he literally never stops running his mouth while he is playing a game. It's crazy...I honestly don't see where he comes up with the energy and focus to do so well in a game while he is talking to it...

On top of all that chatter, he is constantly turning around to see who (if anybody) is watching...Dang, man, I can barely make it through some of these games with total white-knuckle concentration, and this child is doing flips and sh**...

And yet, the child does not have sense enough to come in out of the rain...