But I Won’t Say That

Alice loves to talk.
Scratch that… Alice loves to COMMUNICATE. She wants to interact, to look you in the eyes and have you communicate with her. She loves playing the parrot game (also known as the echo game). It’s adorable, and she can turn anyone -even strangers in the grocery store -into proficient parrots.

She says “uh, oh” when she drops something or sees something on the ground she wants. Each version of “uh, oh” sounds different, and you can tell which one she’s using if you’re her mom.
She asks for Dad-dee. She loves her Maaammaaa. She asks very plainly for her bah-doh (bottle). And her favorite toy is hands-down, her bay-bee. If you hand her something she wants, she will frequently say “thank you.”
We understand Alice. Alice understands us.

But Alice.
refuses FLATLY.
to say.
PLEASE.

Oh, she CAN. I’ve heard her. It’s cute and short and if you’re not focusing on her, you might miss it because she never says it when you ask for it. Oh, NO! (her newest phrase, by the way)

She only says it when SHE believes it’s a good idea.

The other night we had a full blown melt down because I wouldn’t give her a cookie.
“Say pleeeeease,” I coaxed.
She screamed.
“Say… pleeeeeease!” I continued.
Head thrash, screaming, arms thrashed, head went to floor. She forced herself into my arms only to be disgusted with her own mother and push AWAY from me.
“Say please!”
Full-body contact with the floor. She has had it. She begins to crawl away, stopping only to look back at me and (you guessed it) pout n’ scream.

I finally captured another bout of The Please Fit a few days ago. You have to understand how HARD it is for a baby to realize that her getting what she wants is contingent on doing what someone ELSE wants you do to.
This girl is HER OWN BOSS, and she’ll stand her ground at any cost be it cookies, gummy bears, or pudding.

Look at those eyes!
So sad! They don’t understand this world where you have to say PLEASE! Isn’t this a world where you just HAVE what you want?
This shift in reality isn’t going over well, and something tells me this stubborn girl will be a go-getter.
Ain’t nobody gonna tell her she can’t have what she’s after.

Besides, any girl wearing a pink tutu with a denim jacket should be fully accommodated.