A New Year! Yippee!

Starting off with a bang around here, we trundled the grumpy Caitlin off to school again. Toothbrush trauma, lost hair brush lament, too small sock complaints and hurried cereal eating aside, it was a fabulous start to the new year! Hooray!

...


Who am I kidding? I want my four year old back! Who is this child that argues constantly? This can't be normal development in a 5 year old girl, can it? I'm stuck with a teenager already?! AIEEEEE!

I'm dyin' ovah heah! I'm dyin'!

I'm going back to bed. Wake me when she's moved out, will you? Argh!

The full list goes something like this (because you might recognize it):

1. Argues with absolutely everything you say.
• Parental request: "Please go brush your teeth."
  
• Teeth grinding response: "I don't want to!"
  
• Parental response: "Argh!"


2. Corrects you when you're off by the slightest amount.
   
   • Parental request: "Please clean up your bowl."
     
   • Teeth grinding response: "Plate!"
     
   • Parental response: "Argh!"
   
   
3. Cannot handle teasing.
   
   • Parental comment: "You're so silly!"
     
   • Teeth grinding response: "I am not! Don't say that about me!"
     
   • Parental response: "Argh!"
   
   
4. Is extremely literal.
   
   • Parental comment: "I want to fly like a bird!" Mad arm flapping ensues.
     
   • Teeth grinding response: "You can't! You're not a bird! You're not!"
     
   • Parental response: "Argh!"


5. Insists she is right about everything.
   
   • Parental comment: Anything. Anything at all.
     
   • Teeth grinding response: "No it's not! It's [something else entirely]!"
     
   • Parental response: "Argh!"


6. The Whining.
   
   • Parental request: Anything. Anything at all.
     
   • Teeth grinding response: "Whiiiiiiiine!"
     
   • Parental response: "Argh!"

And how is your day?