No!

I've been hearing that a lot over here this past week.

Playette has been telling me "no" for everything.

It sounds more like "nuh" and is used as an answer for things that include, but are not limited to, "Would you like to eat/go to school/take a bath/go potty/brush your teeth/read a book/go to bed/stop acting like a crazy person?"

Though, seriously, when your kid is delayed in speech, it's very cool to hear any new word at first and then you realize that its presence exists with corresponding disobedience and then you have to stop feeling proud for a second and attend to the whole parenting (womp, wooommmp) thing, but then, at the first chance you get, you're all "She said NO!" to the first person who will listen.

BD left town last week. Actually, we left first, for this, and then he left, but when we came back he wasn't here, so it's kinda like he really left while we just dipped out for a second.

Regardless, Playette was in rare form because of it. She is a DADDY'S GIRL. All caps on purpose.

So when we left for Sacramento on Friday morning, and he didn't join us? I swear, she sat in that backseat plotting for the entire three-hour drive.

What's worse than your kid cutting up?...

How about your kid cutting up while you're staying at someone else's house for the weekend.

I was so reminded that I'm a first-timer at this mom thing. My loving, adorable, dare I say "obedient" baby girl turned into a fussy, angry, clingy, "who-IS-that?" person and I crumbled.

And then my immune system crumbled, too.

Really bad timing on that one.

So, I've been sick this week. Too sick, busy, tired, and more to write. Blah de blah de blah. You know the drill.

But I'm back (well, maybe at about 60%, but that's amazing, comparatively speaking).

And BD's back (bearing pralines!).

And my sweet little Playette is back, too.

She's so thrilled to see her daddy. It's really great to watch.

She's still saying "no" but, hey, she's two. That part's not going anywhere for a while ever.