Tell-tale Symptoms That You've Been Cooped up with Kids for Too Long

By Phyllis Edge-Williams

1. You ask your husband what he wants on his "sammie" (your child's name for a sandwich). You then ask if he wants squares or triangles. Or worse, automatically cut them into four child size portions and remove the crust.
2. You begin to treat inanimate objects as human, i.e., talking to shoes that won't tie, conversing with teddy bears about soap operas.
3. You serve dinner to guests on Bananas in Pajamas plates and hand them spoons to eat with.
4. If your husband pauses while eating, you automatically say, "eat your dinner".
5. When your spouse mispronounces a word or uses incorrect grammar, you correct him.
6. When the phone rings, you stare at it gratefully; hoping any adult voice is on the line.
7. You automatically say, "cover your mouth" when you hear someone cough or sneeze - even at Wal-Mart.
8. You find yourself singing along with songs from "Sesame Street".
9. You revert back to calling your parents Mommy and Daddy.
10. When at a party for adults, you come back from the bathroom and everyone is either staring at you or avoiding your eyes. Then you realize you had announced to the whole room where you were going and what you were going to do.