Why Did I Teach You To Talk?

     I babysit for my neice who will turn two in October. She's just starting to talk. It's so cute and so exciting to hear new words come out of her mouth for the first time. It's exciting every time for everyone who bears witness as babies grow into toddlers and can do a lot more like walk and talk. Then we have my Jacob, who is four. I cannot tell you how many times in a day I wind up telling him to shut up. Thank God for the dvd player and headphones on our big trip. Without it some duct tape may have had to be my new best friend.
     It isn't just the, "Mommy, Mommy, Mommy" I hear constantly. He seems to think he must repeat EVERYTHING. Sometimes I'm lucky and it's only twice. Then of course there are the three, four, and five times when I can't help but screaming, "O.K. I HEAR YOU!" back at him. I don't remember my other kids being that bad. Then again maybe I've blocked it out. Thankfully it isn't just me. I hear him do it to his dad and brothers and sister too. When that happens I can laugh about it from the other room. I just hope when he starts pre-school he doesn't do it to his teacher.
     On occassion he does come out with some pretty funny things. I've gotten used to being woken up to, "It's good morning, The sun is out." No matter if it's 5am or 8am. When he wakes, if its sunny out, it's good morning. Which also means 'time to get out of bed mommy' in Jacob speak. When he comes out with something hysterical we just can't contain our laughter he then repeats it over and over looking for the same reaction. I guess at four it's so much fun to make us laugh at him.
     Then there are my teenagers who always have something to say. Especially something to say Back to me after I've yelled about something. My one son still doesn't know to just close his mouth. Despite years of telling him this. I don't know how he can't realize by now that the more he talks back the more trouble he gets himself in. That would require understanding a teenage boys brain. I don't think thats going to happen any time soon. No matter it never fails.
      Yesterday I was trying to get him to pay attention to what's going on around outside the car as we were driving. Preparation for the driver he may evetually get to be if I let him. I asked, "What color was the car that just drove past us?" His answer, "I don't know. A bunch of gray, white one, blue one, school bus, another white one." Wise guy then proceeded to name every color of each car we passed. I got pissed. Obviously the point was not to now pay attention to the colors of the cars going by. Just to try to make him aware of things around him. I said this. He answered back, and we were off. Once again yelling, that has become all to common. I'm so sick of it. But not sure what to do. Maybe I should just start closing my mouth like I've told him too.