Don't Talk. And Don't Try Any "Fun" Business...

This is how Anna admonished me as she started to read to me before bed tonite. Evidently she's seen my kind before :)

Other recent Anna gems:

• "Mommy, I'm going to give you this cereal but then I'm not going to give you any more..."
• "Jenny, try again." - Anna gives Jenny another shot to put more M&Ms in her bowl. She obviously wasn't pleased with the original amount.
• "You can look at my brothers while my Mommy changes me."
  Anna had an accident in Central Park.
  I started to change her behind the stroller.
  Her good buddy Sebastian, who was playing with us, proceeded to walk behind the stroller and sit down for a front row view. Anna didn't miss a beat and let him know she needed some privacy.
• Someone asked Anna if her Mommy works. Her reply:
  "She works in the house."
  Nice. Totally, completely uncoached. Honestly.
• Anna has a book where the characters are having a limbo contest. I tried to explain the concept to her. She looked totally puzzled and said:
  "But a small guy could go right under!"

A few quotes from several months ago not to be forgotten:

• It was the last day of preschool last spring. I explained to Anna that she could push Winnie in his stoller to preschool because this was a special day.
  She could not, however, take the 5 or 6 gift bags stuffed with random Anna toys that she had hanging off both handles. She looked at me forlornly and wailed:
  "But Mommy, it's Winnie's luggage!"
• I was trying as hard as I could to get Anna out of Claire's (remembering, of course, the time not so long ago when I had never in my life even been in a Claire's).
  I told her she could get one bracelet. She became obsessed with the fact that she has two wrists, so she needed a bracelet for each. I told her she could have one bracelet or no bracelets. To my surprise, she chose none.
  We left the store. During the walk home (with Winnie in his stroller), she was horrible., constantly stopping and weaving and whimpering and really being three-year-old-ish. I looked at her and said something stern, and then for some reason ended with "What are you trying to do?"
  She looked up at me and said "I'm try-ing to get another bracelet...!"
  Well, at least she's up front about it, I suppose.
• Random Anna singsong:
  "Wa-choo, wa-choo, wa-choo want"
  Uh, yes. Time to take the Beastie Boys off the playlist.
• Anna was making every excuse not to go to bed. She didn't like the red light downstairs, she needed a drink, she needed another drink, she needed hugs. Finally, I thought we had done everything and I (foolishly) asked her "Is there anythign else I can do to help you feel better?"
  "You can not put me to bed!"
  She totally got me there. Rookie mistake.