Mommy Daddy - Kent Ninomiya

Kent Ninomiya - I've been spending a lot of time with my daughter lately. We're hanging out one-on-one. I'm feeding her, playing dolls, watching princess videos, etc. I noticed that she's been calling me "Mommy" quite a bit. She's never done that before so it got me thinking. Remember when you were in kindergarten and you accidentally called the teacher "Mommy?" I imagine it's because the teacher, who was probably a woman, was in the roll of an adult female authority figure. Since that figure in your life so far was your mother, "Mommy" naturally came out. I know my daugther can tell me and her mother apart. Recently, however, i've been doing many things that her mother normally does. So calling me "Mommy" is likely a reaction to her environment, not the person she is talking to. She associates these activities with her mother, so when she requests juice or her doll or a princess video she requests them from "Mommy." It's very interesting. Kent Ninomiya

girls don't make sense - Kent Ninomiya

Kent Ninomiya.

The other day I took my children to the playground. My son complained to me that his sister wouldn't play with him. This is quite a role reversal. Usually he abandons her on the playground, preferring to play with a boy his own age. However today he wanted to play chase with his sister. Instead she teased him and said she wanted to play by herself. It's obvious to me this wasn't true. She loves playing with her brother, but she loves tormenting him more. It was driving him crazy that she wouldn't play with him. Of course it serves him right. He drives her crazy by tackling and tormenting her. I pulled my son aside and explained that the reason she wouldn't play with him was because it bothered him so much. I also explained that it's what girl do and he better get used to it. I could see that he was puzzled by the perplexed look on his face. He said "girls don't make sense." I smiled and said "exactly son... exactly."

Kent Ninomiya

Snow Day! - Kent Ninomiya

Kent Ninomiya - There's nothing like a snow day to bring a family together and give you a fabulous work out. It's like a surprise holiday. That is if you don't have to work. A lovely 6 inches fell over night prompting the kids to force me out of bed at the crack of dawn. First order of business was to clear the driveway of snow so we could get the car out. That's a significant work out in itself. I had a good sweat going by the time I cut a path wide enough for our vehicle. All the while the kids romped and played on a miniature hill I created by my digging. Once we could get out the real play and exercise began. We went to the local hill for some serious sledding. There is nothing like the uncontrolled laughter of a family flying out of control down a steep snow covered hill. We think nothing of the vigourous climbs back up the hill for the next run. By the time we called it a day we had hiked miles up a steep slope. We were covered in snow and sweat. We were exhausted and giddy. The best kinds of exercise and happiness are the kinds that you don't know you are getting. Kent Ninomiya