Dirty, Nasty Four-letter Words

The first time is always a shocker. You just never really expect your baby to say it. "Where could she have learned that word?!?!?!" you and your spouse exclaim, stunned to have heard what you just heard tumble out of the lips of your angel baby (even though you know darn well where she heard it). The conversation goes something like this:

"She was barely talking yesterday, and now this!"

"I know"

"What do we do?"

"I don't know, time out maybe?"

Then, just as your parental incompetence is shining most brightly, she says it again: "M-I-N-E!" It's no meek question or polite request. It is guttural and growling, and it is coming out of your 18-month old daughter's sweet little head.

So, "mine" is Fiona's most recent manner of revealing her sin nature. She just seems so young for it. She hasn't even officially turned 18-months old yet! Her favorite possession to defend with her new war cry is me. She is very jealous and a little mean, so no one else is allowed to touch me in her presence, especially Madeline. The other day I was laying on the floor playing with them, and Maddie came over an laid down on my legs. Quicker than quick, Fi ran over, flung herself across the top of my body and roared, "Uh-uh, Memme, MIIIINE!" Translation: "No, Madeline, mother belongs to me; now beat it." If I had been able to see her face, I am pretty sure that her eyeballs would have been glowing as red as the furnaces of hell. But, since she had thrown herself crossways over my neck, I really couldn't see all that much. I guess she figured that it was most important to try and protect the head part of my body from any further incursion. I'm just a little alarmed over the whole thing. I mean look at this:

I guess I just have to accept that my little munchkin is a grumpy little munchkin who needs taming just as much as my 3 1/2 year old does. Bummer.

Oh, by the way, what do you do when they fight over toys? I've been taking them away and telling them that if they fight over something, then neither one of them can have it. Seems reasonable, no?