Mom and Esme in the KitchenI know I'm not the only kid who grew up saying (under my breath, sometimes aloud if I felt particularly piqued), "When I'm a mom, I'll never do that."

Well, mom, here I am with a 1-year-old and a 4-year-old, and I'm doing that.

There are certain areas in which I haven't given in just yet. I know I'll allow my daughter to go to concerts much earlier than I was allowed (16?? Really, mom?). And I've already signed up my gal for swimming lessons --  the baby too -- so I can get over my mother's fear of water. No guarantee on whether I'll ever let them go to a pool party without at least one adult per child, though. (See mom, you've still got some influence.)

But the main areas in which, at age 4, my daughter has already forced me to acquiesce include, but are not limited to:

Vegetables

I swore I'd never make my own kids sit at the table and withhold dessert or any other special treats until they ate their vegetables. However, this happens. Every. Damn. Night.

Quiet in the Car

I can't tell you how annoying it was to have my mother click off mid-"Little Red Corvette" so she could "concentrate" on her driving. Yet if I had an off switch for back-seat chatter, my finger would be worn out. As it is, lowering the radio volume followed by a firm, "Shush it!" sometimes does the trick when traffic is a beast and I have no idea where my exit went.

It's Not That I Don't Trust You ... I Don't Trust Them

My oldest is only 4 and I'm already feeling this one intensely. I get it, mom. You win. No matter how much I educate my kids, if one of them is enamored with that bad boy on a motorcycle, all those good peer skills I've hammered into their little brains is out the window. Hopefully this will only play out with scooters and bicycles for the next 10 years. God help me.

Money Doesn't Grow on Trees

I used to think as long as my mother had checks, we had money. Even as I got older and slightly wiser, I still couldn't understand how one Kit Kat was going to put our monthly budget over the edge. Apparently my own daughter inherited this false illusion of wealth since she goes through a store like we're contestants on Supermarket Sweep.

Happy Mother's Day, Mom!

I love you.