RTT: Keeping it clean, if there's time.

"Good job, Sprite! Wash your hands now."

"No way!"

"Sprite, you just used the potty. You need to wash your hands."

"I can't, Daddy. I'm too busy."

We checked her schedule. She WAS running late for Play-Doh.

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Did you catch the "No way"? That's Sprite's newest and favorite go-to retort. I cringe every time I hear it because she uses it for everything from the standard "Go to time out" orders in which it works to the automatic reply when I ask "Do you want some milk?". I've been asking her to simplify it to just "no", but she seems bent on adding the umph to her triumph when declining whatever statement we send her way, whether or not there's a question mark attached to it.

I'm starting to snark back though. (You're starting to wonder if snark can be used as a verb. I say yes, if only for the benefit of this post.) Whenever she lobs me a "No way!", I immediately launch the "Way" right back into her court. Yes, I am willing to channel Wayne's World in order to achieve a tiny glimmer of satisfaction when engaging in verbal combat with my daughter. And yes, it confuses her, if only momentarily. There's nothing wrong in that, right?

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Other Sprite Speak, since we seem to be on a roll:

Sprite's class has been working on their entire names so it naturally came to pass that Sprite began addressing every friend in her class by their full title, emphasis on the last name. I knew Sprite had learned her entire name long before the three year old room brought it up, but decided to test her anyway.

"Sprite, what's your full name?"

"Sprite Cohen."

"No, what's your FULL name?"

She stayed silent for a second before answering, "Sprite Rose Cohen Come Here Right Now!"

There was a reason why her Hebrew name is so freaking long and this is it.

(Yes, that really did happen. Unfortunately, my witnesses are all under the age of Subpoena, so you'll have to take my word for it.)

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More Sprite stuff! (It never gets old. That's why you come here, right?)

Since John has to work most weekday evenings around the hunger hour, Sprite and I are used to taking in our dinners as a duo, just us and two circling canines hoping for a handout. We've developed a ritual of sitting down to eat, and before we pick up our forks, (Okay, sometimes only I pick up a fork. We're still working on the issue of to using our hands to eat macaroni and why every noodle is not of equal importance, but our guest speaker from Kraft has been a no show every time we schedule, so it's an ongoing situation.) the two of us lift our glasses, hers of milk, mine of water, and clink them together, saying "Cheers". Of course, since her cup is plastic, the noise doesn't happen, so I supplement with a "Ting!" to make Sprite smile.

We've been opening the meals with this for a few months now, but she's taken to using other things to toast the meal like her bread. She'll raise it up to bump rolls with me, crowing "Cheers!" and "Ting!". The same with her fork. And yes, it has been reported back to me that she'll try it with friends at school during lunch or snack time. While I think it's adorable, I also understand that it's completely over her friends' heads.

We recently expanded Sprite's movie knowledge by showing her Annie. Oh, the memories this brought back! Being able to watch with an adult's eye, I learned exactly how much went over my head as a child. Not only were some of the costumes a bit suggestive, but did you know that Tim Curry and Carol Burnett both say "Goddamn"? They do. Of course, Sprite asks for the movie repeatedly now. Of course. I am extremely impressed by Carol Burnett's performance as Miss Hannigan though. Comedic brilliance? Oh yes. I've actually rewinded her rendition of "Little Girls" just to catch every nuance of her character.

Another movie Sprite has been requesting of late? Mulan. Meh. I could do without it. In Disney's library of films, this is not a shining star in my eyes. Sure, Lea Salonga is featured in the main song and even Donnie Osmond kicks some major vocal butt in his song, but the voice over characters just don't sound like they're in it to win it. I'll suffer through repeat showings of Sleeping Beauty any day just to avoid having to listen to Mulan.

Want to know who's not phoning it in? That would be Keely and the other Randomizers who meet up every week over at The Un Mom! Want to join? Grab the purple button of pride, unleash your random thoughts, and link back to Keely's!

Happy Tuesday!

Comments

[Casey]

WAY to quote Wayne's World. Very clever.

Graham has been telling people his first and last name when they ask for a year now and I don't know how to break him of it. Next thing he'll tell you our address and what time Mommy goes to bed in case they want to sneak in and abduct him. Not cool.

I'm glad you showed Sprite the REAL Annie and not one of those cheesy knock offs.

[Corinne]

LOL! Waynes World. One of my faves.

[Harriet]

Hey- Play Doh is important!

Have a great Tuesday!http://iamharriet.blogspot.com/2010/02/are-you-tired-of-all-of-super-bowl.html

[Elise]

Your little Sprite is one smart cookie!
Just over from The Un Mom, sharing the Randomness.

[Michele]

Way is the only response you can make to No Way. Messing with your kid's head is an important parental duty.

[Maureen]

My favorite part of Mulan was the grandma. Sign me up for the next war!

Also, Sprite is hilarious.

[Jan]

I spit my coffee out at "Sprite Rose Cohen Come Here Right Now!" It reminded of Bill Cosby saying that when he was growing up, he thought his name was "Jesus Christ" and his brother though his name was "Damn it".

I LOVE Carol Burnett's performance as Miss Hannigan in "Annie" - especially "Little Girls". I love the way she sings, "Everything around me is...*little*." Cracks me up.

[Mama Badger]

PB doesn't like it when I call the boys by their full names. I try to do it often, though, so we don't come into this situation. We both remember only getting called by our full names when we were in trouble, too!

As an aside, LG has started using little o's middle name. However, he chooses not to call him o anymore. Now he is known as "Monkey Daniel".

[Mom in High Heels]

Very funny. Indy and I used to do "cheers" all the time, only we did the German version "Prost!" He loves it, but he wants the glasses to clink so he hits really hard and our drinks slosh into each other. Fortunately we both drink water, but my hand has been sloshed many times.

[steenky bee]

Ugh! My little one (2 yrs old) has been using the "I'm busy" response with us. At first it was cute, adorable and so clever. Now, I just get the feeling she's putting us off....

[K]

Love the answer to her full name. Classic.

[Suzicate]

I'm with Sprite, play doh rules...clean or dirty hands, it rules!

[Robin]

Love her "come here right now" answer. It's almost like good toddler stand-up material.... "Ladies and Germs, welcome to my crib, I'll be here all week, try the mac and cheese!"
Happy Tuesday!

[mrsbear]

Aw, I haven't watched Annie in YEARS! Now I might have to break in to an off key rendition of "Tomorrow".

I am kind of glad I don't have to watch princess movies anymore. That ship has sailed. And you can never really tire of Harrison Ford in his Han Solo and Indiana Jones days. ;)

[Captain Dumbass]

Carol Burnett was so good in that movie.

[Keely]

Snark is TOTALLY a verb.

Way to use "way". I look forward to using that one. Right now X just uses an emphatic, "NO!"...and there's really no comeback for that.

[Maureen@IslandRoar]

I love to watch Carol Burnett and Tim Curry sing "Easy Street!" I can just see her saying NO WAY and you saying WAY. I want to see you both when she's 14!
Not a big Mulan fan myself, but my uber-political older daughter is convinced it's the best feminist Disney film and should be mandatory viewing for all little girls...

[Erin]

My boy was about Sprite's age when Mulan came out... he called it 'Move On'.

:-)

[Lisa @ Boondock Ramblings]

Love Carol Burnett, first of all and that bit about Sprite's name would not surprise me because Jonathan has that little smart mouth too! :-)

[Rachel]

1) It IS why I come here.
2) The cheers thing has worked really well for me to get Lilli to eat recently. I "Cheers!" with her on every bite.
3) Sprite is tough. Tougher than me! Annie traumatized me as a child (not the chase scenes, the emotional drama of her thinking she has found her parents), and Mulan made me sob the first time I saw it with its scenes of a burned out village. The girls are wimps like me, so I suspect they won't be seeing either of those until they're 20.

[Janie at Sounding Forth]

I love Wayne's World. And now, after reading this, I love you and Sprite! I'll be back!

[Heather]

Annie and Mulan, both powerful movies. Love them both. I never really paid much mind to the singing in Mulan, I guess if I was to have to "hear" it that would be different. I get caught up in the story of it.

Here is my spin: http://bnhwelch.blogspot.com/2010/02/spin-cycle-love-and-valentines-day.html

[Stacy (the Random Cool Chick)]

HA! I love it! I've replied with "Way" to PN's "No Way!" too! :) And I LOVE the toast you and Sprite do - and that she's trying to get her friends to do it, too. Too funny!! I'd prefer Sleeping Beauty over Mulan any day, too. ;)