Marking it Down

Tonight marks an occasion that, by all rites of parental passage, simply must be documented.

As I've explained before, my darling little Emily Kate is either adorable or horrible.  Her emotions can change from high to low in a mere matter of seconds... going from a delightful, smiling little basket of joy to a screaming, foot stomping, name calling bundle of hormonal rage!  

I have become fairly accustomed to this character trait of hers and so I just inwardly smile when I see her stomp her little feet, swing her arm, furrow her brow, puff out her cheeks, and profess her disdain for whatever it is I've asked her to do that she is not happy about.  It's common to hear her say...

"I'm not never gonna talk to you again!"

or

"You a MEAN Mommy!"

or

"I not gonna love you anymore"

or my newest favorite...

"I'm gonna call you mean FOREVER!"

But tonight, she upped her ante!  She pulled out all the stops!  After insisting that she return to her bed even though her sister was still awake, I heard a phrase that I'm certain every mother has heard at some point in time.  As she started to spew out the words, I instinctively knew what she was going to say.  It was my turn to go through this parental rite of passage. It was my turn to hear the words...

"You are the MEANEST Mommy....


{stomp, pause}


EVER...


{slam door, pause, and increase voice decibel to pack the last part of this punch}



in the WHOLE WIDE WORLD!"


So I'm marking it down.

Tonight is the first night that I was called the meanest Mommy in the whole wide world!  And it most likely won't be the last time I hear it either.  

Thankfully, I know all too well, that when morning comes (after I feed her), she will flash her delightful smile at me, ask to snuggle with me in my bed, and both of us will forget all about the night the meanest mommy in the whole wide world made her go to bed before her little sister!