Nora: “Mommy, I don’t want to be late!”
Me: “Late for what?”
Nora: “For ice cream!”
Me: “You have an ice cream appointment?”
Nora: “Remember that time two months ago that I went to get ice cream with Cheri and grandpa and we had a pointment? And we weren’t late? And that was really good for me and Cheri and grandpa!”

How you know that your child has grown up without regular tv…

Watching Hulu and a commercial comes on.
Nora: “Mommy! Quick! Fix it! This isn’t the movie you wanted!!!”

Nora: “Let’s watch Despicable Me! Come on!”
Me: “Nora, we aren’t watching that right now.”
Nora: “Okay… We are going to watch Despicable Me or we aren’t? Or we’re going to watch nothing? Those can be your choices, mommy.”

More on words she hears and doesn’t understand…

Nora, with supreme pout face: “Mommy, it’s not fair!”
Me: “What’s not fair, baby girl?”
Nora: “It just isn’t!”
Me: “What isn’t?”
Nora: “Isn’t fair!”
Me: “Nora, what is it you think isn’t fair?”
Nora: “Um… The trash can!”

Me: “Nora, you might get to see Aunt Mary tomorrow…”
Nora: “I wanna see LOTS of Marys!!!”
Me: “Nora, she’s just one person.”
Nora, heartbroken: “Why can’t she be LOTS of Marys?!”

Nora: “Mommy, is that stupid?”
Me: “Is what stupid?”
Nora: “Just that.”
Me: “Nora, that’s not really a good word to use.”
Nora: BIG SIGH, “I just need SOMETHING to be stupid!”

Dudes. She’s awesome, she’s fearless, she’s a huge mess, and she will be THREE next month. This is, of course, just a small sampling of life with my wonderful child. Wouldn’t trade her for the world.