Nutcrackers

Every once in awhile the Dictator just has a hard time saying a new word. This usually happens after she's learned too many new words at once and her little mouth just doesn't connect properly to her little brain. The first time I noticed this happening was when she came running to me yelling "Help! There is lots of bread!! Oh no! Bread! Bread on me! Bread on the ground!" Say whaaaat? Turns out bread=blood! There was indeed blood! She fell on the sidewalk and scraped up her little elbow pretty good. She was more concerned about the bread, er blood on the sidewalk than she ever was her elbow!

We've had lizards (scissors), alligators (escalators), sex (six. That phase sucked, since it was also a big counting phase), and lumpy hairs (gummy bears), along with many others.

I discovered the latest word challenge while we were at Target today. The Christmas stuff is up and proudly displayed throughout the entire store. Even the dog supply section was colorfully peppered with Christmas cheer. Antler hat and peppermint candy cane snacks for Fido? Check!
They also had a lovely selection of nutcrackers.

I'm not sure we've ever talked to the Dictator about nutcrackers before. We have a few, so she's seen them, but she's never really been curious and they are only up for a month or so at Christmas before they are packed away again. Yes...I have severe issues with people that break the boundary lines of decorating. There is to be no Christmas decorating before Thanksgiving! And you better take it all down New Years Eve weekend!

It actually felt a little wrong to be looking at the Christmas stuff. Especially since it's nearly 100 degrees here today. I was already breaking my own restrictions by having an iced peppermint mocha. A Christmas drink! The Dictator was having an iced gingerbread decaf latte. We were really feeling daring today! I wonder how those drinks taste warm? Living here in the desert, I doubt I'll ever know! We decided to be naughty and venture into the Christmas section.

There we were. Reveling in our defiance to traditions and actually contemplating buying Christmas-y type things! And then....the Dictator noticed the nutcrackers.....

"Oh Momma!" "Look!" "Aren't they pretty!" "I want one! I want a Butt Crack!" "Look at all the pretty Butt Cracks! Can I have one? Can I have a big, giant Butt Crack?" After a moment or two of confusion, I realized that Butt Crack does indeed equal nutcracker!

How could I say no? We bought the biggest Butt Crack, err...nutcracker we could find. The Dictator was overjoyed to show her new friend off to everyone we passed in the store and the cashier. "Look at my Butt Crack!" "It's a big one!"

Now that we are home, the Dictator and her Butt Crack are playing out in the yard together. Loudly playing in the yard together. I'm sure the neighbors love us. Although I have tried correcting her, and we are making progress. We've made it to Butt Cracker! Hey....that's a step in the right direction my friends!