I'm currently at that place in Motherhood where my sanity is teetering on the edge of a raggedy cliff...seconds away from plumetting into the abyss of binge eating and Jerry Springer episodes.  Lately, my kid has found it roughly necessary to fight with me about everything.  EVERYTHING!

"Cali, go put your shoes on!  You just won 5,000 free Chuck E. Cheese tokens!"

Her response would be:

"WAHHH!  I HATE MY SHOES!  YOU NEVER BUY ME ANYTHING!  I WISH THE MOUSE WAS MY MOMMY!"

So then I have to go look at her baby pics and remind myself of how cute and fuzzy she used to be.  I ran across this Journal entry from about 5 years ago.  Sometimes I just need to remind myself that this too shall pass.  Right?  It will, won't it?

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(Journal entry, 2006)

She smells like slobber and a runny nose.  Sweaty hair plastered to her forehead and stuck to ears, no doubt hardening to crust throughout the night.  That little bump on her ear worries me.  But such perfectly shaped ears!  Her purple footy jammies smell like feet, even after I wash them.  She's getting so big.  Less baby…more toddler.

"You dont touch me, it's MINE!", she let me know today.

OKAY!

She smeared hot-pink toothpaste all over the guest room comforter.

She found a blue pencil and drew circles all over the laundry room door.

She crammed stickers in her mouth and almost choked to death on the letter "R".

She washed my hair in the bath tonight and covered me up when I laid beside her.

She tried to feed her foot corn at supper and demanded to watch Max & Ruby long after bedtime.

She danced away the day to "Rockin' Robbin" and lined her rocks up in various locations thru the house.

This room smells like her.  A heady combination of Sweet Pea, Motrin, slobber and baby wipes.

I wish I could bottle this.

The essence of my daughter.

Eau Du Stinky.