Allianna's hierarchy or, a few of our favorite things.

I'm asking Alli all day things like "don't do that" "leave that there" "can I have that please?" when she has something she shouldn't have or is doing something wrong with it. The usual response is a smile, squeal, and a good chance she'll run away squealing and smiling; or an indifferent and sassy "No. no, mom." As in, hmm, that's an interesting idea you have Mom, but I don't agree. Or other times she acts like she doesn't hear me saying anything. So, that is how much respect I get.

However, and this is a massive however, if I mention that what she's playing with is Daddy's, she gets all reverential and agreeable. "Ooh. Daddy's? Daddy's [with awe]." And then she points to it or hands it to me and tells me "Daddy's"--all while nodding her head very authoritatively and soberly ("We definitely can't let bad things happen to something so special, Mom."). It doesn't matter if it's even just a piece of paper. We may have a moment of silence before she utters another respectful "Daddy's." Then she's on her way. There's nothing we agree about more than how dear Dad-O is. ;)

Oh, we also agree that it's fun to window shop pretty things. We were on our own at Target the other day (while the boys were at the natural science museum) and I asked her if she wanted to look for pretty little girl bracelets. "Yeeeah." (in the deep drawn out raspy way she says it). So we wandered the aisles looking for them while she called all the while "Preh-dy! . . . . Wheh ah yooou??? Pretty? wehahYOU?!?!"