Vindication

Malynn, Malynn, Malynn. I love her, but some days life with her is more than I can handle. A little history on my sometimes sweet oldest daughter. I couldn't nurse her because she chomped my bits off, but even if she hadn't, I'm not sure she would have made it. There was no cuddling her, holding her close, and feeding her a bottle. She always sat face forward with her beady blue eyes gobbling up the world while she ate. Most people don't see it, but she is stubborn as the day is long. Seriously, as the day is long. At 1-2 years old, she would torture Morgan, making him cry on a daily basis. All she had to do was apologize. (And she could have. She was talking in three or four word sentences by the time she was 18 months old) Nope. Never. Would rather die first. She'd go without her favorite dessert before she'd admit she was wrong.
Life hasn't gotten easier for/with her. Sometimes we can direct her force in a good direction. She can be absolutely darling. She's made me cry tears of joy several times. She is beautiful and graceful. Malynn is the spunkiest little dynamo around. She is hardy-- none of her many spills and stitches have fazed her. Tough little buggar. When she was three and Morgan was six, we had them in swimming lessons. For their last couple of classes, they got to jump off of the high dive. Morgan was pretty sure it was a bad idea and I had to get up on the board and dump him off the edge (always the caring mother, I). Malynn scoffed at him. Psht. What a baby. It wasn't that hard. Stubby little Malynn with her baby gut hanging out climbed the ladder and got to the very edge of the board before she second guessed herself. After the moment's pause, she jumped right in.
My Mom says Malynn serves me right. It's the child she cursed me with because she had to raise me. Thanks Mom. I'll be sure to pass this tradition on. If Malynn gets 10 Sophies there is something seriously wrong with the eternal justice system.
Today I went to parent teacher conferences. "Malynn, Malynn, Malynn" says her teacher as we sat down. With that beginning I knew Malynn had found a new sparring partner. I still don't think she puts Mr. Brennan through our special brand of mother/daughter camaraderie, but he's definitely getting some of her attention. He said she just can't back down. She has to be right no matter if she knows she's wrong. She found his buttons and she pushes them, but she's never overtly bad. He even hunted down her first grade teacher and asked Mrs. Schmitz "What the heck?! What did I step into with this little girl?" I started laughing. Or maybe it was crying. My shoulders were shaking and tears were in my eyes. Most people get the darling side of her and I'm glad she has that side to her personality and that she's capable of showing it. But finally, FINALLY I am not the only one (besides Dan of course) who has witnessed her merrily leading someone down the path of insanity from trying to battle her.