Blatant ploy to humiliate spawn

Rebecca made up some interesting words in your youth.  She rode a "bitocycle" and played the "pleando". Then there's the common phrase in her young life, "a long time ago yesterday". With a younger sister, she's had many opportunities to teach (sometimes even appropriate stuff).  Katie said "handenooger".  Rebecca wanted her to say it correctly, so carefully constructed a lesson plan.  Say "ham".  Say "burger".  Say "hamburger."  The response? "ham", "burger", "handenooger".  She still obsesses about this.

Home improvements in my house will never be televised on network tv.  John was working on some project in our house in Maryland, using the colorful language that is required for home improvement work.  Little Miss Becky was a quick study.  She dropped something while sitting in her car seat and said loudly "Tom Gammit" with the proper tone and heat.  This still makes me laugh (mostly because you'd have to know the story to really know what she meant.)  When we moved to this house, I spent a lot of summers painting the outside (it used to be rust and green-gag!).  One day I'm on the ladder and Becky came storming outside to ask, "Mommy, can I listen to you?"  I nearly fell off the ladder laughing.  I'd been wondering that for years. 

Then there was the day she came home from Kindergarten testing to say she didn't want to be "Becky" anymore, she wanted to be called "Rebecca".  Turns out she'd rather write 7 letters than learn to write a "k".  Yes, do note that our last name starts with a "K".  She never has been one for confronting a challenge.  Once we went to Penns Cave (see it by boat) and she couldn't walk down to the cave entrance because she was "afraid from the lion".

It also seems likely that this one is my clone.  I used to call my mother complaining about some irritating thing Rebecca had said or done, and my mom would just laugh.  I fully anticipate returning the favor when Rebecca has her family.  In her young days, we were guaranteed to make an epic scene.  There were many times when we were banned or glared out of playgroups and activities. So all the embarrassment I cause her now is total payback.

I could write a book about her sleeping habits.  When she was baby, nighttime was not the right time for sleeping.  She did not approve.  One night I discovered that she found stenciling entertaining.  So in the middle of the night, I'd be standing on a ladder in her room painting those cute little balloons around her room.  Naptime?  Not so much.  We would have world war III getting a nap in (for me- I had stuff to do).  There were many days when I'd lay down with her at 1pm or so and the rugrat wouldn't actually stop moving long enough to go to sleep until 4pm.  No, I didn't decide to give up, but I was certainly wound up by the time she got to sleep.  I can't tell you how many times I drove around to put her to sleep.  And she liked riding the top of the dryer too.  I was one tense first-time mother.  She didn't help.  She was kind enough to finally sleep through the night when she turned 4- when her sister was born.  Thanks.  She's still not fond of sleeping- especially on the weekends.

She has had some wacko ideas too.  My little drama queen made special friends easily.  Whenever we'd have to leave the playground, she would wail "I'll never see her again!  She's my best friend!" I'd ask, "What's her name?".  She'd yodel back, "I have no idea!"  Then there was the preschool love triangle.  She was going to marry Lucas K and be a farmer's wife.  Never mind that Lucas has terrible allergies, and Rebecca has bad relationships with farm animals.  Never mind that Lucas also liked another girl.  I'm sure she doesn't remember the weekend that she cried because he liked Rachel better.  Somehow their relationship has not passed the test of time.  In second grade, I got a phone call from a first grade boy's mother begging me to stop Rebecca from hugging her son.  He was getting picked on at the playground.  I couldn't look her in the eye when I saw this mom again.  I think they left the school. (I may be making that up.)  For years, she was going to adopt eighteen Chinese children, and I was going to help take care of them. Now she gives me a look when I remind her of this.  Have I mentioned that she used to lick the car tires?

The girl can giggle too.  In fact, her dad often quips, "The hyenas called- they want their laugh back."  When she and I get rolling, there is no stopping us.  Apparently, I'm never going to grow up, and she shows no sign of it either.