Defiance

My sweet sweet baby girl is growing up. Just a week shy of 18 months, finally starting to mimic a few words instead of just "Eh! Eh! Eh!"  She's incredibly smart and a problem solver. She's known how get passed the screen lock on my iPod touch for months now. She opens up the music and flips through all the albums until she finds a very specific one - then continues to flip through the songs until she finds the very specific song she wants to listen to.

Tonight my Baby displayed quite the act of open defiance. I haven't seen one quite this bad from her thus far (though a few have come close).

We had such a pleasant evening. A nice dinner followed by quite the long walk/hike (can I just say I LOVE my Mei Tai!) with the entire family, in laws and all. Upon getting back to the house I let Rylee down to run around the yard while Kenny drove his RC Truck up and down the street.

Rylee knows better than to run out in the street. I taught her this awhile back, I don't want her getting too excited one time and running out in front of a car - no matter where we are at.

So, she stands at the edge of the driveway, next to her Papa, watching his car go up and down the street. She accidentally dropped her pacifier and it went into the street. Rylee points and beseeches that we get it for her so she doesn't go into the street. We applaud her for being such a good girl, and waiting for us to get her pacifier for her.

She runs and plays. Gets in and out of her little red (soaking wet from rain) car. Runs around the yard. Stops, watches the car go back and forth and jump off the curb. Continues on her way running around and getting in and out of her little red car.

Then

She wanted to run out in the street. Staying in the yard/driveway was no longer good enough.

Rylee ran and stopped about 3 feet from the street. Turned. Looked at me. She took her pacifier out of her mouth and tossed it down - while looking at me. Upon seeing that it did not go into the street she looked back at me, then kicked it. "Darn, still not in the street" She looks back at me, and again kicks it closer to the street. Not close enough still, she kicks it finally into the street after looking at me before she does the act.

Now in the street Rylee expects us to let her get it.

As I stood there next to her informing her that it's in the street now and she cannot have it back - Kenny took his RC Truck, drove it up close, and ran over it! Then he did it again! Oh the look of horror on my daughters face, it was priceless.

Then he carefully drove his Truck over top of the coveted pacifier, hiding it from site. Rylee became distraught, trying to bend any way she could to see it so we could get it for her.

I bent down, looked at her in the eye and told her She kicked it into the street and couldn't have it back right now. I grabbed her hand and together we walked inside the house. No fit, no screaming and crying, just submission.

It always shocks me to see such defiance out of my sweet little baby girl. I don't think I would expect anything less out of her, though. She is after all, human. She is also My daughter - and Kenny's. We're both strong willed idiots. Why wouldn't our daughter be as well? I think it helps me to see little bits of insight into her mind and deeper personality. So I can prepare myself for a much longer battle than the momentary ones. So I can, hopefully, handle it with grace - having prepared myself for those moments.

I love my Daughter and I love being a Mom - Even in the Defiant moments.