Sometimes you don't need a baby book or video camera or even a blog to remember the things kids say. Sometimes those words just stick with you.
Like how Alexis first said "bye-bye" to her pediatrician well before her first birthday. That I remember perfectly because I told the pediatrician she was nuts if she thought Alexis was actually saying real words. Which, by the way, *I* was the nutjob that time. Damn kid has proven the point by not shutting up since.
Then there was the time that I had to quickly drag Alexis out of the grocery store as I mumbled, "Kids sure are cute when they aren't talking" because her two-year old self had told the big, burly guy with the Harley jacket that "Boys look silly with ponytails." WHOOPS.
There have been PLENTY of potentially embarrassing statements. Fortunately, though, there have been far more moments of pride.
There's the first time she made friends with a total stranger.
There have been instances when she (rightly) stood up for herself.
And then there is that thing she said on Friday, August 26th at 6:21 pm. There is that thing that I will remember and cherish and love forever and ever and ever. And ever.
On Friday, August 26th at 6:21 pm, Alexis and I were walking through a shoe store in search of some navy shoes for her to wear to school. The child somehow balances her Big Kid self on tiny leprechaun feet, so we had to meander to the toddler shoe section to see if we could find something small enough for her but intended for kids who know how to walk. (You think I exaggerate? I don't. She was wearing a pair of toddler size 8 shoes yesterday. I swore they had to have been all sorts of squishy and hurty, but she claims they weren't, which makes me wonder if I'm buying her 10s and 11s just because I refuse to admit her leprechaun feet are still THAT small).
As we walked down the aisle of toddler shoes, Alexis pointed and commented on every pair of shoes that she spotted. "Those are cute!" and "Those are for babies!" were common statements.
But then she saw them.
The Shoes.
Before I write the words that she said, I should mention that there are some things that are considered off-limits around these parts. Alexis isn't allowed to say "stupid" or "hate" or a few other words, mostly because she hasn't quite grasped the part of the ban where I say she can't say them when referencing people. Things can be stupid and she can hate them, but we don't say mean things about people. (At least not to their face. Ahem.) So, she can't say that she hates a teacher and she can't say that one of her friends is stupid and blah, blah, blah. Point is that I've been trying to teach her when the words are acceptable and when they aren't, but she's struggling with it.
So when we walked down that aisle at the shoe store and she turned to the pair of tennis shoes with Dora the Latina Whore's face on the side of them and declared, "Momma, I HATE Dora," I had to think for a millisecond.
And then I knew. APPROPRIATE USE! I'LL ACCEPT IT!
In fact, I might have to buy the kid a pony.
