"You just wait...."

Oh how I remember hearing those words which were usually followed by something like "God is going to give you a child JUST LIKE YOU."

Fast forward several years.

(Clearly, I lived with a fortune teller.)

It seems that Miss Gabi is having an extremely hard time learning when it's appropriate to talk and when she needs to zip it. Did I mention that EVERY year my report card comments would read something like this...."Teri is a bright student however, she talks too much." Each semester, each year throughout Elementary school, my report cards would have some type of variation of that comment.

Enter September 2008. My sweet daughter is having a very hard time controlling her "Gab"bing at school. Her teacher uses a visual warning system. The children start on green everyday and then are asked to move their cards to yellow, orange, and red (in that order) throughout the day if the behavior continues. They can also work their way back up to green.

We take it very seriously when she comes home on any color other than green. Lately, she has had too many yellow days- and even an orange here and there. She always reports that it's because she has been talking.

I called my Mom for some advice. Asked her what she did to help me. You know what she did? She LAUGHED. Yup. That's right. Laughed a satisfying hearty bellow.

Gabi is also way too smart for me. Here is how tonight's conversation went.

Mommy: Gabi, I'm really disappointed that you are on yellow for the second day in a row.

Gabi: Mommy, I just don't know what I would ever do without you. You are so beautiful and I just love you so much.

Mommy: Thank you Gabi, I love you too that's why I want you to be responsible and make good choices.

Gabi: Mommy, I really can't imagine what I would ever do without you. I would never even kiss anybody ever again.

Mommy: (Quietly smiled to myself as I thought....You just wait....)