Please Don't Call Daddy Babes

BC (Before Children) J and I created pet names for each other. It's gotten to the point where we cant even call each other by our given names. It just feels too weird. So when we were carefree and childless our pet names for each other was baby. Unique, huh? But it worked and we got along fine for many years, until we had Xavier. As soon as he was born we noticed we had had a dilemma on our hands. You see, whenever one of us called Xavier Baby the other person would automatically assume they were being called. So after a meeting of the minds we switched our pet names to Babes, which has stuck like bubble gum in hair ever since.

Our kids have always called us Mommy and Daddy, or some other variation thereof (although never Mother/Father or Ma... I just can't get into those.) And until recently, the kids were able to differentiate the fact that Mom and Dad have other names for each other that aren't Mom and Dad and just for them but not for the kids. Until this weekend.

On Friday evening, I started talking with J about something unimportant and of course started off the convo with "Hey Babes..." Ashe was in the room with us and I noticed him watching me as I spoke. I swear I could visibly see the gears working in his head while J and I talked, but for what I couldn't figure out." I continued chatting with J and forgot about that scheming little look I had gotten a glance at.

Saturday morning, J and I were upstairs in the office on our respective computers when I heard a call from Ashe downstairs about having just pooped in the potty. He has finally achieved Potty Trained Status (woohoo!!!) and is still SO excited he must verbally catalogue each and every bowel movement to one of his parental units so he can receive the praise he is so deserving of. Ashe called out "HEY MOMMY! I WENT POOP IN THE POTTY!" to which I cheered and said congratulations. After a brief pause he continues:

"HEY BABES!"

.... J and I glance at each other in shock.

"BABES. I WENT POOP IN THE POTTY!"...."BABES! CAN YOU HEAR ME?"

A moment of pure silence went by and then after the shock of what we heard filtered into our brains J and I just burst out laughing. But we both knew, as parents do, we had to keep quiet with our guffaws and not answer him or he would take that as consent to continue using our pet moniker for one another. So we sat there and suffered in silence, laughing to the point I had tears in my eyes and our sides hurt as Ashe continued yelling up the stairs with his little 2 year old voice "HEY BABES!...BAAAABES!"

After awhile when it must have become apparent to him we weren't going to answer, Ashe stomped up the stairs and entered the office with a little glare on his face. He marched right up to J, hands on his hips and announced "BABES. I WENT POOP IN THE POTTY!"

I'll give J full credit for not losing control and laughing himself on the floor right there. He didn't even crack a smile, although I did notice a hint of one trying to sneak out from the corner of his lips. Instead he calmly faced Ashe and said in a matter of fact tone "My name is Daddy."

Ashe chewed on this for a few seconds and then looked up at J. "OK. HEY DADDY, I JUST WENT POOP ON THE POTTY!" J of course praised him with high 5s and good jobs. I pulled Ashe to me and hugged him in congratulations. And while his little arms were wrapped around me, his chin resting on my shoulder, I let it go and laughed my butt off as silently as I could. When Ashe gave me an inquiring look I just said I was so proud of him and hugged him again until I could get myself together.