The joy of being there before

For the last few weeks it seems as though Ethan and Erin have been on a rampage of copying Dante. Dante will get home from school and immediately they will start following him and doing and saying everything that he does. At first he thinks it is funny, but then it gets old. Today they were sitting around our little table and I start hearing after it has been going on for about 15 min.

Dante: Stop copying me!
Ethan: Stop copying me!
Erin: Stop copying me!

Dante: MOOOOOOOOMMMMMM!
Ethan: MOOOOMMM!
Erin: MOOOOOOMMMMMMMMM!

Me: K- you guys, let's not copy anymore. If Dante asks you to stop, you need to be nice and stop. (all the while really trying hard to conceal my laughter behind the door, because I know how Dante is feeling- but i know how much fun Erin and Ethan are having)

It just brings back floods of memories of me and my sisters. Siblings are sooo much fun- and I love how the things my kids will do will bring back childhood memories and how - right now - to Dante it may seem annoying- but he will laugh one day when he hears his kids doing the same thing. It is just part of being a brother or sister. Sometimes- if I'm on edge- this will bother me to the point of me wanting to "set my hair on fire and punch myself in the face" as me and Chet like to say! LOL!

But in the moments when I can sit back behind a closed door and just view their conversations and interactions, whether teasing or just plain fun, as a 3rd party and not as their "mom".... I can just laugh and smile- because kids are great, families are great, siblings are great - and we have all done it before, and if you are like me- you still tease your siblings or your parents or your husband - and in the end- you just love each other even more:)

I just love my kids to death and this is by far one of my most favorite pictures of them ALL together!!