in contrast with

Sometimes people ask me whether it's easier to raise a girl than a boy, but maybe I'm the wrong person to ask because as far as I can tell the biggest difference is more twirling during lightsaber battles.

(also pigtails.)

conversations with a two-year-old, vol. IV

I combed Ivy's hair into pigtails this morning and helped her put on a new shirt. Often after I manage to get her dressed I tell her she looks pretty, and then she tells me I look pretty, but before I could say anything she jumped up (not unusual), spun around (also not unusual), then stopped and smoothed the shirt back over her stomach and hips carefully (unusual).
"Ivy looks pretty!" she announced.
"Yes, you do look very pretty." I laughed and tickled her stomach. "And Mama too?"
She stopped and stared at me for a second, carefully weighed my face and then shook her head. "No. Ivy pretty." Then she ran off.



I'm sitting on the couch trying to finish an email while Ivy wails about the general unfairness of life beside me.I'm ignoring her, hoping to power through, but her wiggles and cries are making this totally impossible so I pick her up and place her on the floor. She jumps up immediately and pounds my leg with her little fists as hard as she can. I catch them before the second blow and stare into her red face.
"Ivy. You Cannot Hit Mama. You know that. No Hitting."
She stops crying immediately and shakes her head.
"No, Mama, I punching."
...It's hard to argue with that.

(vol. III, vol I)