"It's No Not Nice!"

One of Layna's favorite phrases of late: "It's no not nice!" complete with pointing finger. Yesterday, she was standing in the kitchen in the morning and the sun was coming through the window illuminating her. She squinted at the window, looking like there was a little spotlight on her, and said, "No sun. No get in my eyes. It's no not nice!"

This happens often: when Josiah, 9 months old, "takes" her lovey or a toy she's not using; when her dad or I steal a bite of her food; when some inanimate objects gets her way; or when she's imagining things with her "a'mls" (her stuffed animal friends).

Her other favorite thing to say? "No - it's my dada!" Have I mentioned we have a complete daddy's girl? This is her go-to phrase when someone is too close to Aaron. The latest, completely awesome, story about this was over the weekend. There was some extended family in town, nine-year-old Henry and 11-year-old Lucy, both sweet as can be. Henry was teaching Aaron some form of martial arts. He was twisting his arm, etc. and Layna is sitting on my lap watching and murmuring "it's my dada" with a bottom lip stuck out, though she was otherwise tolerating their play. Until....

Aaron was on the ground, hands behind his back with his cousin leaning over him and Layna bolts from my lap with her "NO, IT'S MY DADA" warcry and jumps on his back to his rescue. She had a dress on, too. Without a doubt, it was one of my favorite moments: my two-year-old daughter, coming to her dad's rescue against a nine-year-old boy. I think we're doing a pretty good job of raising a tenacious, fearless daughter.