Trademark this.

"MeeMee." Sprite reaches for her Minnie Mouse doll and squeezes it tight, dropping a kiss on it's nose.

"Sprite, can I have a kiss?" I lean forward expectantly and close my eyes, waiting for her wet mouth to touch my cheek. Nothing. I open my eyes. She's just laid another one on the damn doll.

"Sprite, can Mommy have a kiss?" "Mommy" she replies and kisses my proxy again. This doll is getting a whole lotta love.

"Ehmmo" she cries, and drops Minnie, suddenly forgotten, as she runs over to the corner of the room where Tickle Me Elmo stands, staring blankly into space. She presses his nose, and slaps his head. "Ehmmo!"

John is done doing the dishes (yes, I am married to a wonderful man) and comes into the nursery, stopping along the way to trigger the button on her Dora the Explorer Sit N Spin. The music comes out and Sprite gasps. "Doror!" She looks up, excited and sees Daddy dance his way into the room. She giggles at this, but runs back to Minnie Mouse, hopefully to apologize for her rude behavior minutes before. She grabs on Minnie's nose and holds on as she walks around the room, giving her love generously to the toys assembled, waiting for her attention. Cookie Monster gets a pat on the head and Grover gets thrown across the room.

I sit on the floor and just watch, waiting for her to acknowledge my presence. John goes back to the kitchen to grab a glass of water. It's just her and me and every toy she's ever been given.

"Sprite, where's Mommy?" I ask, wanting some attention. "MeeMee" she replies, showing me the doll.

"No, sweets. Mommy."

"MeeMee".

Grrr. "Sprite, come see MOMMY", I say, holding my arms open for a hug.

She turns away, pointing to the Tinkerbell jewelry box on her dresser.

Obviously dismissed, I look over the room, seeing all the toys marketed to her age group. Disney Princess Cinderella is sitting in her crib, waiting for her giggle to be squeezed out of her. Elmo is in several areas of the room, jockeying for attention with the Minnie Mouse and Baby Mickey she's been given. My kid's been branded. John had to get her a Tigger doll bigger than she was when we took her to a character breakfast in Orlando and watched how she was enthralled with the big orange tiger. So we  have, with the best of intentions of course, added to the branding. The big doll sits next to Elmo, usually gaining her attention with his prominent nose which needs pretend picking once in a while, as she likes to do with several people.

She recently recieved a very clever birthday invitation which had her little friend's picture on it and Elmo as well. She zeroed in on Elmo immediately. "Ehmmo!"

John and I have accepted this grudgingly. Mostly, in the beginning, it was cute. "Oh, she just said Elmo!" "She's saying MeeMee, that means Minnie!" "Our child is a genius!"

Now, it's becoming disturbing. We've been showering her with kisses since she took her first breath, saying the "I love you"'s like it's going out of style. Love is not lost in our home. (Just don't ask the dogs, they may give different answers.) She knows by now, this is how we express our love. And she follows by example. She just prefers to shower the affection on a plush doll with a kicky bow between her big mouse ears.

Sprite drops Minnie again, her attention now stolen by a big stuffed frog. "Bath time!" John says and Sprite jumps to action to get undressed. When they leave the room, her naked tushy disappearing as she walks quickly to keep up with Daddy, I start to clean up.

I pick up Minnie Mouse, look it over. Getting pretty dirty.

Minnie is going in the wash. Sprite will not even think about the doll until she sees it again.

Sprite's bath is done. I take over and give her some milk and start her bedtime routine.

Her eyes begin to droop, her day catching up with her. "Mommy", she yawns. "Nose". Her finger reaches up and inserts itself into my left nostril.

It's attention. I'll take it.

Comments

[Baba]

I Love You!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Mom

[Sprite's Keeper]

I love you too. You can use a phone, you know...
:-)