Brenden-isms (With a little bit of Lauren thrown in.)

A few days ago, Brenden was really fighting me at nap time. Believe me, we all need nap time, so I'm not forcing him to lay down when he's not tired. There are many different things he says when he's upset and one of his main go-to phrases is, "I want my grandma!" The best way to deal with him when he's throwing an all out fit is to find a way to make him laugh.

Me: "Which grandma do you want?"

Brenden: "Grandma Ginger!" *waaaaahhh!!!* (He had just seen her this weekend and she didn't make him take a nap. *cough* Sheesh, mom! *cough* Ahem...)

Me: "Just pretend I'm grandma. Oh, Brenden! My grandson! I loooove yoooou!"

Brenden: *small giggle* "That's not right. That's baby talk."

Me: "Well how does grandma talk, then?"

Brenden: *super high pitched voice* "Blah blah blah blah!"

If you know my mom, you know her voice goes very high when she's excited, which she usually is when she sees the kids. I had tears in my eyes because I was laughing so hard. Brenden was definitely in a better mood and laid down for his nap with no more complaints.

Personality? Yeah, he's got it.

~~~~~

Lauren is learning new words everyday, and with new words comes all new ways to work the system. (The system being her daddy, and sometimes her grandmas.) A few nights ago she showed us exactly which parent she thinks is the "weak" one.

First, she surprised us by pointing at the top of the fridge and saying "ah-na-na". We were so excited to hear this new word that of course we gave her the banana immediately. She happily ate a few pieces and then smooshed the rest into a yucky mess on her tray.

"Ca-cack! Dease?" (Which means "cracker, please") she yelled at me.

"Nope. Sorry kiddo. You have to eat the banana first," I replied.

Again she said, "Ca-cack!! CA-CACK!!"

And again I replied, "No, Lauren. You have to eat your banana first."

(Side note: The fact that I was having a conversation with my 14 month old daughter absolutely amazes me. She's just so vocal and knows exactly how to get her point across.)

She knew I wasn't going to budge so she turned on the charm. "Dada? Ca-cack! Dease? Dada?" I immediately cracked up.

Tim turned around, "You want a cracker?"

Immediately she yelled, "Yay!! Ca-cack!!"

Poor thing did not get another cracker. She had already had several before the banana! But I bet if I wasn't there, Tim would have handed one over without a second thought.

That whole "wrapped around her little finger" thing? Tim may not admit it, but he's almost completely at her mercy if she really wants something.

I must admit, it's hard to say no to that face.