You know you are a parent when....

[d2vasquez]

I had to smile because in another thread here there was discussion about getting the right Happy Meal toy for your kid (Cars is the theme right now)....and I got to thinking....there was a time my head was filled with science, math, biology, world events....and now I am use my brain to plot out which McDonalds has the toy I want So I thought I would start this fun thread asking the question -

"YOU KNOW YOU ARE A PARENT WHEN...."

1. You go to a barbecue or picnic and when someone pulls out the Fruit Salad you start singing the Wiggles "Fruit Salad" song.

2. You know what the theme in the Happy Meals is now and what the next promotion will be - Pirates of the Carribean (look at the bottom of the happy meal box - it is there!).

3. You can easily identify all the kids in any Disney show out there and also know what commercial or movie they have been in, what songs they sing on Radio Disney and who they are related to.....

4. You know how to do the "Cha Cha" slide or at least can recognize when the kids are doing it.....

5. You find yourself saying "Snap" when you see something cool! (from "That's So Raven")

6. You find yourself yelling "Swiper no swiping" when you see the fox in Dora!

So who is next......get it out.....

[nbeaudreau]

1. You know the lyrics to Laurie Berkner songs.

2. You know the names of all the Thomas the Tank Engine trains.

3. You know a lot about Pokemon.

[mamakimberly]

7. You don't even flinch when a piece of chewed up food is spit into your hand as a little voice says "mommy, I don't like this"

8. You get in the car and listen to kiddie music for a half-hour before you realize you are alone and you can listen to whatever you want!

[mamakimberly]

you sing "hot potato, hot potato" from the wiggles when you see a baked potato. :)

[StaceyD]

1. You know the location of every bathroom and elevator in the mall.
2. You carry wipes where ever you go.
3. YOU get excited when the Wiggles or Dora come to town.

[sinead]

These are hilarious!! The Wiggles and Dora references are cracking me up!

1. When you get "I love being a Princess" or "Castaways, we are castaways" or "Dance by the light of the moon (Cowgirls! Cowboys!)"...all from the Backyardigans.

2. When you have completely logical conversations with your 2.5 yr old about some fantasy meet up between Cinderella, the Backyardigans, and Dora.

3. When you change the name of Moe's Southwestern Grill to "Welcome Moe's!" because that's what your kid calls it.

[sinead]

1. When you can quote random scenes from Cinderella or just about any Noggin show.

2. When you start referring to strawberries as strawbes because, again, that's what your kid calls them.

3. When you look at the clock at 11:15am and wonder if it's too soon to start the naptime routine!

[SheScraps]

I'm almost embarrassed to admit that I can't relate to more than half of these. Maybe it's just cause of the ages of my girls (almost 11 and almost 2). This one isn't so much mom related but it's so true:

When your husband tells you he has to go potty rather than to the bathroom.

[AmyJo]

...you borrow the neighbor kids to fill your car because part of your kids are camping with grandpa...

[MarshaZepeda]

7. You don't even flinch when a piece of chewed up food is spit into your hand as a little voice says "mommy, I don't like this"

8. You get in the car and listen to kiddie music for a half-hour before you realize you are alone and you can listen to whatever you want!
ROFLOL! I can sooooooooo relate to these! hee hee!

[d2vasquez]

Oh my gosh these are perfect....and I can so relate.....especially to the bathrooms in the mall and the food in the hand..... LMAO

[TraceyLee]

1. you open your purse to get your keys and you have to dig through hot wheels cars, crayons, socks, wipes, hats, lollipop sticks, half eaten lollipops wrapped in a wipe, baggies with cheerios in them, two video now discs put in your purse for 'safe keeping', and approximately 446 different dried dandelions before finding the keys hidden behind a pair of spongebob underwear.

2. you can recite Finding Nemo, Monster's Inc, the Spongebob Movie, Chicken Little, Avatar The Last Airbender, and the Monster Truck DVD that came with the little Gravedigger Hot Wheels car... from memory.

3. you laugh when your kids start shouting 'bald! bald! bald!' when they see their bald grandpa. bonus points- you know what movie this was from. extra bonus points- you taught them to do this. :D

4. you open your purse to find Lightning, Doc, and Mater staring at you.

5. You knew who Lightning, Doc, and Mater were before you saw the movie.

6. your kids wear Tommy, Gap, Nike, Sketchers, and Old Navy. you wear Faded Glory (walmart brand).

[Valgal]

You know you're a mom...

when you accidently cut your husband's food into bite-sized pieces
when you find Polly Pocket clothes in your shoes
when the TV is tuned into The Disney Channel or Nick everytime you turn it on
when you excitedly tell ALL your friends about your latest purchase... Mt. Tiki Soki (a sprinkler)

[sinead]

You guys are cracking me up!!!

How about
-when your purse has more diapers/wipes/toys/crayons/misc than your own things
-when you can list the names of your daughter's 20 dolls (AND tell people who ask where each one came from)
-when you carefully repeat, "Oh, so you're Uniqua today?" just so that people don't think that your child (in her little kiddie voice and interpretation) has issued a racial slur on the playground
-when you're halfway out of your seat anytime you see a kid headed head-first towards the ground--ANY kid!
-when you automatically reach out across the passenger seat when you make a sudden stop--even though there's rarely anyone sitting in the passenger seat because they're all in the back!
-when your backyard looks more like plastic paradise (climber, pool, cars, etc.) than a landscaped area
-when you listen to a Backyardigans dvd on the way home from a New Year's Eve party (at your husband's request) even though the kid is at home with a babysitter
-when you play your day around the playground busy times

[Valgal]

LOL, Sinead! Eden pretends she's Uniqua all the time. In fact (and I might get flamed for writing this... just remember I love all people and I'm aware of my sheltered life) last week Eden wanted me to braid her hair after she got out the shower so she could wake up in the morning and have curly hair. I ended up doing about 6 braids (3 on each side) and she looked SOOOO cute when I was done that I couldn't help but blurt out, "Well hello, Uniqua!" She ran around the rest of the night, "I'm Uniqua! I'm Uniqua!"

[sinead]

Too funny, Val!! Maggie LOVES Uniqua so much! Of course, she's also a big fan of Austin, who she is firmly convinced is a girl. Nothing I can say to her will change her mind. Oh well--she's a girl of strong convictions, I guess.

[amanda heimann]

When you can smell a poo diaper a mile away.
When you no longer have a purse.
When you have the poison control as #1 on your speed dial.

[d2vasquez]

LOL these are awesome....

When you get to work and there is a cookie stain from your kid who hugged you before you left on your suit and you just pin your employee badge over it without missing a beat.

When you try not to laugh when you kid tells you about that NEW movie star named Johnny Depp.

When you are in a store and you hear someone call "Mom" you and everyone else turns around to see who is calling you.

You don't bat an eye when you pull out your lunch at work - My Little Pony Fruit Snacks, Cars Yogurts and Dora soup.

[Lynn]

- you're kids have a more exciting social life than you
- when they finally start daycare/preschool you have a persistent feeling that you are missing something ("hang on, something's wrong, I've left something behind .. oh that's right it's because I'm used to always having a kid with me!" Five minutes later - "hang on, something's wrong ...)

[sinead]

You guys are cracking me up!!

[sinead]

How about when you're chatting away in the grocery store to your kid only to realize 5 minutes later that you're all by yourself and the kiddo is at home with Daddy?

[busyizzie]

When you see some gunk on your kids face and you lick your finger or thumb and give them a spit bath.

When you are one of a few parents at your child's sporting event and you start the wave.

When you have to keep telling your son..."pull up your pants or put on a belt"

When your highschool student comes home with their schedule and you look at the names and realize, you had that teacher too, only quite few years before!

[ronee]

When your husband tells you he has to go potty rather than to the bathroom.

Yup! LOL!