I am a fairly good speller. Sure, I've gotten lazy and rely on Microsoft Word to auto-correct some words, but back in grade school? I totally won more than one spelling bee. I even went to State one year. I would tell you what word I finally lost out on during the second round of the oral spelling finals, but I don't remember what it was. I know it had something to do with some sort of Native American house, but that's where the traumatic memory ends (losing sucks, yo).

So why am I having so much trouble with the spelling bee that is life with a toddler?

We are absolutely in the midst of the Repeats-It-Alls. While we have, thus far, managed to dodge the cussy bullet (can I get a WOOHOO!), there are still some words that are not technically cusses, but that I would rather not have the Toddler running around reciting. It sucks. And, yes, that is one of the words she doesn't need to say.

Even worse is when I say something that is SUPER EXCITING to Alexis, and when I do it completely oblivious to the fact that she has ears and can hear me. There is a long laundry list of words that are traps: Disney, Mickey, Pink, park, slide, gymnastics, french fries, noodles, Spanish, baby, pajamas, and Penguins just to name a few. It doesn't matter the context, it doesn't matter where Alexis is, if she hears one of the trap words? We are absolutely going to go down the path of a random Toddler conversation, and odds are it's not going to end nicely.

For example, if Mr. Husband and I are stupid enough to discuss last weekend's Penguins game? We had better spell a whole lot of words in every sentence. If we don't, the Toddler is going to turn the conversation into how she wants to go to a game. Now. SHE SAID NOW! And meltdown . . .

I really need to practice spelling every single word I say.