Okay? Okay???

So apparently I have this habit. And I didn't realize I had it until my two-year-old brought it to my attention today.

Often when I talk to my girls, I end the sentence with "okay?" As in, "Girls, we are going to a restaurant. I expect you to sit still, eat your food and use your manners. Okay?" Or, "If you girls take a really good nap, we'll go outside and play when you wake up. Okay?" And if I get no response, I give a second "okay??" with a little more emphasis until someone acknowledges that they understand me.

Call it motherly affirmation. I need to know they hear me because sometimes the tv is on and they are glued in and I'm talking and I swear to them it sounds like Charlie Brown's teacher, "wonk, wonk, wonk, wonk." So I need them to let me know they hear me loud and clear.

So, onto my story. My girls don't usually go to mother's morning out on Fridays but today Ann Catherine's class had their spring pictures. Lily and I dropped her off and then we went to run errands.

On a side note, can I tell you how much I absolutely cherish my one-on-one time with Lily? Because she was the second child (and Ann Catherine was so young when she was born), Lily just didn't get the attention that AC got as a baby. She didn't get the endless hours of holding and snuggling. I try not to beat myself up over that because that's just the way it is when you have a second child. That makes my alone time with her so very important to me.

After we ran all of our errands, we still had an hour before we had to pick up Ann Catherine. So I took her to Barnes and Noble. My kids LOVE going there!

So, we're hanging out and she says, "Mommy, let's get an Elmo book. Okay? Okay???"

I just looked at her kind of odd, wondering where that came from. "Um, okay, Lily."

We read a book. "Let's get another one, mommy. Okay? Okay???"

Then,

"Let's go play with the train, mommy. Okay? Okay???"

Finally, it hit me. She got that from me. I say it all of the time! And she's just making sure I hear her.

Then she said, "Let's go outside, mommy. Okay? Okay???"

"Okay, Lily. Let's go!"

We went outside and started walking through Bridge Street. Then all of a sudden she just starts jibbering. I'm telling you, it sounded like she was from another planet!

"Bada, bada, burda, zhoo, boppy!" she says as if she knows EXACTLY what she is saying. Then she adds, "Okay? Okay??"

I just had to laugh out loud at that one. I had no idea what she was saying, but if she was sure enough about it to add a big "okay" at the end, then I would give her an "okay" right back.

"Okay, baby," I said. "Whatever you say." And I just soaked up this little wonder. This little girl who looks NOTHING like me, yet to be sure, has little pieces of me. She actually hears me and not only that, she mimics me. Who knew one little word could make me so happy. :)