Mine! No!

We are taking massive strides backwards with the pacifier. I haven't been able to admit to my defeat until now- but I am defeated. I lost. S will be packing the pacifier when she heads off to college, I'm sure of it. She used to call it 'that' which I image she got from me saying "you don't need that" multiple times a day. Now she calls it something that sounds a lot like 'daddy'. Maybe she is calling it daddy, but I find that perplexing and slightly disturbing- so for now I'll tell myself that she may be saying 'paci' which is what I call it when I'm not calling it 'that'. I will also remind myself that we're in the indecipherable land of new speakers. For example 'kin-kee' might mean stinky, as in need a diaper change, or thirsty. Or Monkey.

I love this part of learning to talk- where you feel like a master of rare languages because you know that "doh! myne kon kee, Mommy!" means "Lets go! That's my monkey, Mommy!" Sentences like this that don't make sense actually do make sense in this rare new language. Trust me, I'm a master. If one touches anything that belongs to S, or anything that she even likes, the word MINE appears. Just like that.

Inevitably you learn things about your own speech patterns during this rare language stage as you have implanted many of these statements. When H was learning to talk, I learned I say HEY! All the time. It has recently been brought to my attention by a small mimic I live with, that I say "let's go!" all the time. To the dogs. To the girls. And now its said to me. All. The. Time. Theres also the stern dog training 'No!' Both girls with that one. H says it to S all the time. She's mastered it. S does the dog training no, too- and I do take blame for that one- but S has a "NNNeeewwwO" all her own.

Anyway- back to That Daddy Paci. I can't get rid of it. The problem is that even when she has it, S still screams and tantrums. So why bother? Because its a thousand times worse and we don't stand a chance with out That Daddy Paci. I tried, again this morning to limit its use- but we had to get out the door to get H to school, and I failed to be consistent with my stupid paci rules. We had already had repetitive tantrums. I was already on an inconsistency jag after letting H wear shoes to school that are a size too big. I told her she couldn't at first, and then recanted. She is not quiet victor, either. "I love it when you say I can do things, Mommy. I love it when I can wear my shoes even if they're too big." Ugh. I swear I stick to my guns most of the time.

S added something new to her tantrum repertoire today. Yelling "OW OWWW OW!!! NOOO NO!!" So that it seems to the casual observer that I am actually hurting my child instead of just wanting to. And foot stamping, that's new too. She a one kid tantrum machine. I should hook her up to a drum set, but a harmonica in her mouth and train the dogs to pass a hat. Gotta earn those pacifiers.