Mommie dearest

I have a 4 1/2 year old son.  Or at least I think I do.  I can't tell anymore because some days I swear he's 14 years old.  And still other days, he acts like he's 40 years old. 

Lately, well more like for the past 2 months, Lil T has taken a liking to calling me "Mom".  Not "mommie", not "mama", but "Mom".  Maybe it's me, but I cringe at being called "mom".  Little four year olds are not supposed to call you "mom".  It should be "mommie".  Seriously.  Mommies are young, cute and full of fun.  Moms are old, boring, and...old.  Ugh, the little hairs on the back of my neck stand up every time he calls me "mom". 

"Don't call me that please.  It's mommie"  I would say. 

"Okay.  Mom!"  he would reply with his sarcastic hee-hee-hee laugh.

ARGHHHHH!!!  I know.  You think I'm nuts.  A bit crazy, maybe.  But let me try to explain.  

Little kids (they're tiny and cute and adorable) should be calling you "Mommie".  It just sounds gentler.  A soft, warm and endearing sound to your ears...Mom-mie.  It brings with it a sense of innocence.  You picture a mother who's vibrant and young and lovely.  I know, you think I'm nuts.

Kids can start calling their mothers "Mom" when they're older.  Mom...it's not as sweet sounding anymore.  There's no longer that sense of innocence.  You picture a more authoritative figure,  a woman who's a bit *gulp* older.  When you hear "Muh-om" being called, you see a twelve or thirteen year old pleading whiningly to his mother to let him hang out with his buddies a bit longer.  Or a teenager wanting to borrow the car.  "Please mom, puh-leeeze can I go to the mall with so-and-so?"  That's a mom.  And yea okay, it's an age thing to me.  I admit it.  I guess I perceive "mommie" to a younger mother and "mom" to an older mother.  Just my perception, not calling any moms old.  Yikes, heaven forbid.

So to hear my 4 1/2 year old call me "mom", it just sounds so out of the ordinary.  It's too weird.  But I know he does it on purpose because he knows it irks me so much.  And his best line yet?  "Hi mom.  Love you, mom."  Anytime I tell him to do something he doesn't want to, he responds with..."ohhh-kay MOM".  And I'll give him the evil eye, and he quickly replies with, "Love you, MOM!"   Argghhhhhhh!!!!!