Funny Girl

Parenting a toddler is very challenging. It's almost impossible to reason with them (at least my kid anyway), their attention spans are incredibly short, they are very self-centered (at least my kid anyway), and tantrums are their way of showing their displeasure. Discipline is all about being consistent, and some kids catch on quicker than others. Mine is one of the stubborn ones, Lord help me. However, I think God knew parents of toddlers would need something to break up the difficulty, and that's why he enabled them to begin talking.

I prayed for a funny child. Of course, I prayed that she'd be healthy, first and foremost. Then of course, I hoped she'd be cute, but after that I prayed that she'd be funny. You know some kids are not, and I was really hoping we'd get a funny child. Well, we did. And I am thankful to God for the funny moments that help me keep my sanity when I just want to pull my hair out. Here's just a few snippets of converstaions that have gone on in our house in recent weeks:

• "Mama, where's your make-up?" - upon waking up and seeing that I had clothes on and my hair done, but had not yet put on make-up. Ouch.
• "You drive your car."- Amelia's distraction technique when Cliff or I notice her doing something in the back seat that she shouldn't. For me, it was when she was smashing a cookie into a million pieces by banging it on the window. When I caught her and told her to stop, she said, "You drive your car." She's tried this same technique when I've been on the computer or watching TV and catch her doing something. She'll say, "You watch that." In other words, "Don't worry about what I've got going on here. You just do what you're doing." That girl!

• "Mama, you look like an angel."- after seeing a photo of me in my wedding dress. Guess she was trying to suck up after the make-up comment.
• "Mama, your belly's sticking out."- after a big pasta supper. Ouch again.
• "I need to get in the corner!" - after getting in trouble for something. Yes, she likes to go to the corner to pout. We've got to get a new time-out spot. She also NEEDS everything. "I need to go outside and play." "I need to get some more books." "I need a cookie."
• "I need some breakfast." - she asks for a snack or breakfast at random times of the day and they mean different things to her. I think a snack means goldfish crackers and breakfast means a cereal bar, even though she has many other things other than a cereal bar for breakfast and other snacks other than goldfish.

• "Bite my butt!" - not what you're thinking. She can't say her 'f' sounds very well and she usually substitues 'f' words with the 'b' sound. She likes for us to nibble on her toes or tickle her feet and she'll say, "Bite my butt!" or "Tickle my butt!" That one was a riot at all the family holiday gatherings. She is starting to finally say 'foot,' so that joke will end soon. I did paint her toenails the other day and she said, "Oh, my butt looks so pretty!" Ha!
• "Yes my are!"- When I tell her she doesn't NEED to get a snack right before supper. Or when I tell her she can't watch another episode of Dora. That kind of back talk would warrant a spanking if it didn't make me laugh every time she says it.
• "I wike that song!"- to Cliff when he's driving and the "Thong Song" comes on (from the CD box set my friend Josh made in honor of our 10-year reunion. Just to clarify. It's not like that song comes on often or that we would choose to listen to it, although you know you know all the words.)
• "I sing it!"- when she is singing something and we try to sing along with her. She doesn't like sharing the spotlight.

I know there have been many, many more funny Mimi moments recently, but those are the main ones that come to mind. I've got to do better about recording them because this kid cracks me up!