"NOPE"

So my husband got a really fun game for Christmas this past year. "Exploding Kittens". It's not as hostile or vulgar as it sounds - in fact it's quite fun, and leads to some interesting family alliances.

Anyway - one of the cards you an play is the "nope" card.

It negates any other card anyone plays.

So this is not a game tutorial - the story continues.......

We were sitting all together watching a movie/tv last Saturday night - and my eldest son James - said something under his breath and the boys laughed.

Brian and I both asked what the joke was - to which he replied - no nothing... but I had heard the word 'mom' so we pressed on.

The joke was on me - that he was referring to the fact that I say NO a lot - like a hand full of nope cards.

SO: 

1) I didn't take it personally because it's true - I do - at home. It's my mom personae - the rule regulator. I tend to catch mistakes instead of good and I'm working on this. Parenting has not come naturally to me - and I tend to follow after the only model I had (my mother) who was VERY strict and well.... 

...this is not even about the word No...

It's about the fact that whether you like it or not - your kids know you, and read as clearly as that Nope card we all loved to play.

Whether it's the personae you think you portray or not - they get to know you really well.

So the question is:

What cards are in your hand today? - which ones will you lay on the table>? Which cards 'name' you?