You better grow a thick skin if you want to survive in this family...

It's been suggested that Jenna will one day resent us (okay, resent me) for taking and posting all of these pictures and videos.  Ummmmmmm....does the fact that we do this really surprise any of those closest to us?  I mean, part of our early courtship was seeing who could embarrass who more in public (of course, JP always won that one) and we both push the boundaries of what is socially acceptable.  So....

Really, we are honestly products of our environments.  One thing that we certainly have in common is that you have to have a thick skin to survive in either of our families.  It's nothing mean spirited, but laughing at each other and picking on each other mercilessly is something that is ever present in both his family and mine.  And if you are a child in the family this is especially true. 
This may sound callous, but it truly is a rite of passage in each of our famillies.  And we have ALL been picked on in front of boys/girls we had crushes on, laughed at when we were pitching fits (and the harder the fit, the harder the laughter), had stupid things we have said hammered in the ground, and so on.  I am using examples of my family, but this is true in JP's family, too. 

The truth of it is, though, that we can rib each other, have our family pranks and jokes, and laugh at the fact that one of us just fell down the stairs (and check on them after we have finished laughing).  Just don't let anyone else do it. 

So this is the rite of passage for Jenna.  Could it be seen as insensitive that we lay on the floor with her and laugh as she gets frustrated with trying to roll over?  I'm sure it could.  However, times like this are important for her to learn to problem solve, self-soothe and be independent.  We are close by to help her when needed, but we let her do things on her own - and get frutrated.  The truth is that life is frustrating sometimes.  We won't always be able to keep her from that.  We both realize this and have no illusions about it. But she will always know we are there, even if she gets frustrated, mad or has hurt feelings.

Another thing that she will learn from this is that laughter really is medicine to life on life's terms sometimes.  Laughter is a resiliency factor, and one that she will have no shortage of having JP and I for parents, and also from being in the families she is in. 

So....let her get mad at us.  It'll give us something else to laugh about.  And when she's older and has a better perspective, she can laugh with us.

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