Lately the kids have been mentioning some words and phrases that I am known to say a lot. I say they've been "mentioning," I should say they've been totally making fun of me! Here are my top ten "Mom" isms...
1. "I hope to tell ya..." As in, "if you eat too much candy, it will make you sick, I hope to tell ya," or "you better go clean your room or you'll be in trouble, I hope to tell ya." It's an unnecessary piece of information. It's redundant. I get that. But it just comes out. It is something that my mom said and I find myself saying it all the time, I hope to tell ya.
2. "Pert near" This is a regional phrase used in place of the word "almost" or "pretty close." I usually add it to the end of a sentence, like "the glass is almost full, pert near," or "it's almost time to start, pert near." I remember my Grandpa Nash saying this all the time, and even if it makes me sound like a redneck, I like it because it makes me feel close to my Grandpa, pert near.
3. "Stripedy" Three syllables, stripe-ped-ee. Used to describe something that has stripes, as in "the stripedy cat" or "the curtains are stripedy." I don't know where this one came from, but I've always said it. It can be embarrassing. I was shopping with Jamie one time and I said "I like that stripedy shirt," and she said "did you just say stripedy?" Still, it has more character than plain old "striped," and I like it. I'm keeping it.
4. "Shoulda, coulda, woulda" This one is used to rub salt in your wounds when you have regret. That makes it sound rude. I don't mean it to be rude. I just like the way it sounds. So when one of my kids regrets not wearing a jacket when he needed one, I say "shoulda, coulda, woulda." Or when Wes regrets not buying something that he wanted, I say "shoulda, coulda, woulda." See, you're saying it in your mind right now aren't you? It's fun to say!
5. "Samwich" Okay this one really is embarrassing! I have no idea why I exchange the "nd" in the word "sandwich" and replace it with an "m!" It makes me sound like a first grader. Do you want a samwich? I'm not even aware that I am saying it! My kids point it out to me every time. The day after Thanksgiving we had the Elders over for dinner and we ate turkey sandwiches. I sure hope I didn't ask them "do you want a samwich?" I probably did.
6. "Chilly coming down" This is Colton's fault. When he was a little boy and it was cold outside, he would say "the chilly is coming down from the mountains." It was adorable coming from our little toddler, and pretty soon Wes and I found ourselves saying it too. Eventually, Colton stopped saying it and Wes and I shortened it to just "chilly coming down." Kori and Clint never knew the origins, they just hear us say that and they think it's hilarious. I'm sure I've said "chilly coming down" in public too, and people probably wondered what in the heck I was talking about.
7. "You're my favorite ____" I have a thing about favorites. I always want to know what your favorite movie or favorite book or favorite color is. My kids don't understand why there has to be a favorite for everything. There doesn't. I just like to talk about favorites. So I often refer to my family as "my favorite daughter," or "my favorite oldest child," or "my favorite youngest son." Whenever I tell Kori she's my favorite daughter, she always says that must mean that she's also my least favorite daughter since she's the only one. It gets me all upset because I could never have a least favorite! I love everything about her and she's my favorite, so there could never ever be a least favorite! She still tells me that. I think she just likes to see me get all riled up.
8. "Someday when you have your own house..." or its close cousin "Someday when you're in charge..." Oh boy, this is such a Mom thing to say! It gets used in response to Kori's big decorating ideas or Clint's desire to plaster the house with Christmas lights. Someday...
9. "The editorial we" This is a fairly new addition to my "Mom"isms. I started to notice recently that my family members were saying things like "we should get some clementines at the store" or "we should change that light bulb" or "we need to get the truck inspected." Of course that meant that Mom should go to the store, change the light bulb, and get the truck inspected, you get the idea. So a new phrase was born. Now when someone suggests that "we" do something, I respond with "you mean the editorial we?" It gets a chuckle, but usually gets my point across, and maybe (maybe?) they appreciate a little bit more all of the stuff Mom does!
10. "Just love 'em" My mom used to say this to me whenever I was at the end of my rope with my kids. I would ask her "what am I going to do with them?" and she would simply say "just love 'em." It was always a comfort to me, and a reminder of what was really important, and I have found myself repeating this same advice to other people.
I'm pert near certain that this is not the end of the list. There are surely some other odd things that I say, I hope to tell ya. I also like to spontaneously break out in a Scottish jig in the kitchen, sing aloud whatever random song is in my mind, since there is always a random song in my mind, make squeaky noises when I yawn, and recite the poem "The Owl And The Pussycat." With feeling. If I get started I have to repeat the entire thing, so I'll stop there. You get the idea, I am an embarrassment to my children! But I just love 'em!
