Nap Drive

You know you're a parent when the soothing classical music and the meandering drive home nearly puts you to sleep, even before the 2 year old in the back.

Games

It's apparent you're a parent when you get pretty good at games like "sleeping beauty" during which the "beauty" has an awfully hard time being revived. Other versions might include "sleeping bear" or "sleeping fairy" etc. Or hide and seek wherein you have to tidy up a room at a time, searching darn near everywhere for that little lost kiddo.

Stickers

It's apparent you're a parent...when you find stickers on your butt, or your hubby's. Lovely.

The Quiet

You know you're a parent when you have a healthy fear of "The Quiet" as in, the quiet that can mean and entire roll of toilet paper unraveled, or the quiet dumping of all the books off the bookshelf, or the quiet sneaking of a treat snack. etc. It's always best when the quiet is actually two siblings playing nicely together, which of course you are always bummed you interrupted (this is when a periscope would come in handy, perhaps termed a "parentscope"?) Or when your little girl is doing what she loves doing these days, plopping a book on her lap and flipping though,

even if it's upside down.

Shop Equipment

It's apparent you're a parent (and a crafty one at that), when you will go to all lengths to craft the most fun for your children and invent clever new ways to use shop equipment. Such as, shop vac = "super bubble making machine":

 

and bubbles galore paired with glow sticks makes for ultra fun bath time!

Danger

You know you're a parent when you find yourself in constant danger in your own home! You know what with the fires, the floods (thankfully there are arks), 

the hurricanes, the bad guys, 

bad guys have to be captured and taken away

the weapons, the mud pits (even on the stairs, which is especially scary since the blocks are the passage over the pits), the wild animals, and the monsters of course. Though H did say the other day, that it wasn't a monster Q heard, "it's just a tiny ferry boat!" Of course there's no need to fear a tiny ferry boat now is there?!

Google

When you really wish there was a simple "google for parents" in which you could use to explain all the vast amounts of questions your preschooler asks, without risking inappropriate ads etc, and without paying a fee. 

* Can't claim this as completely my own thought, my former teacher and I were discussing this idea this past spring...*

Food Vacuum

When you had that tiny newborn at home and learned to eat one handed and quickly, when you went out to eat with a young baby and he/she woke up and you had to wolf down your meal while your other half held off the babe, when you became adept at the skill with two young ones at dinnertime, then and in so many other cases, that's when you knew you were officially a Parent Food Vacuum.

Disposal

You  have become a garbage disposal for any leftover food that needs to be eaten. I myself, have become resigned to making myself breakfast, now I just have a bit of toast and tea and a bit of leftover eggs. Yep, I'm a mom.

Scribble

Any paper left out is prone to the scribblings of a little one, including the scrap that was walked on by the dog that gives the title of a children's book to be as thought of by mother and son:

 

Uh, just in case you can't decipher the above: "Do Zebras Pass Gas? and Other Flatulence Facts" is the title, and yep, those were some other ways to say gas that we thought of. Ok now if someone else writes that one, you'll know who gave them the idea!

Going Out

When you are out at a show and you go to get out your wallet and find a tiny toy train in your purse. It was placed there earlier by your sweet child cause he wanted to make sure your going out purse was well stocked, even made sure Papa added some money for snacks, and offered water to take along.

Shower

When you realize how much you took for granted those lovely quiet showers in the morning back in the pre baby days.

Keys

When you have a set of those little plastic keys hanging alongside your own on the key hooks.

Rock Concerts

You know you're a parent when you are thankful that you attended a few loud concerts and noisy college parties etc. in your youth, so that when your children reach decibel levels of the same variety, you can simply recall those fun times instead of clutching your ears in agony.