He Said/She Said

Abby has certaintly started to express her likes and dislikes...as if almost on cue...she will be exactly 2.5 years old in a couple of weeks....

Here is some of her recent phraseology:

No, Mommy...I don't LIKE IT! (I'm trying to convey the emphasis...)
Mommy, I am MAD....I am mad MOMMY.
I don't WANT TO!

Sometimes these phrases are uttered with an accompanying fist pumping in the air for good measure. Fun times!

Most times I ignore these outbursts while hoping I was hearing things. Surely my sweet baby girl doesn't talk like this.... My denial was quickly shattered yesterday when I was going through the endless tubs of clothes that Abby was outgrowing. I was separating clothing into piles...those to save, those to sell...when along came Abigail.

Abby: "What are you doing Mommy?"
Me: "I'm going through some of your clothes."
Abby: "These are Abby' clothes!"
Me: (Not for long) "Mommy is cleaning them up."
Abby: "Mommy, I clean up! " As she steps through the piles as if it was late September and we were bagging leaves on the front lawn.....
Me: "Abby, please don't step on the clothes. Why don't you come sit next to me and help me make piles."
Abby: "NO, MOMMY I DON'T WANT TO!"
Mommy: "Abigail Maya! We do not talk to Mommy like that . Do you understand?"
Abby: "Little Joey* say it!"

There you have it. Why wait until grade school? The imitation starts early these days! Little Joey is a lovely young boy who attends the same in-home daycare that Abby does. Little Joey has an older sister in the 1st grade. Enough said.......

*Names have been changed to protect the not-so-innocent.