Ali is typically not a very mischievous child. She rarely outright disobeys, doesn’t put things in her mouth that aren’t supposed to go there, doesn’t run away from me when we’re out in public, doesn’t spill things, and is very careful in general.
For some reason, though, she had a very mischievous day on Saturday.
It started out after breakfast. I was cleaning up, and Chris was also in the kitchen. She informed us that she was going to go play Thomas in the living room, so we said okay and didn’t think much about it.
She came back in the room 5 minutes later, joyously proclaiming, “AJ’s!! AJ’s!!”
I turn around from the sink and see that she had AJ’s Christmas present, completely unwrapped, proudly displayed in her little hands.
Now obviously, she knows that she isn’t allowed to unwrap presents without permission, and she also knew that the particular present she unwrapped was for AJ (before and after she unwrapped it).
It is one of those puzzling moments as a parent, because you’re trying to figure out what motivated your toddler (as if it was going to be logical or something) to do what they did. Due to the fact that she wasn’t hiding her deed – she was quite proud of it in fact – we couldn’t help but think that she thought she was doing AJ a favor or something. Or maybe the joyousness of opening presents just caught her in a stranglehold and she couldn’t resist.
But of course, she had disobeyed, and so we reprimanded her and explained that she wasn’t supposed to do that and why, etc.
She was very remorseful and apologized to me and Chris and gave us hugs, then went back into the living room. She came back a minute later and said, “Told Oreo sorry too.”
To skip ahead to today for a second, several times throughout the day, she said matter-of-factly and confessionally, “Ali opened AJ’s present.”
Back to Saturday night, her impishness flared again while we were out to eat with Amanda. Chris had gotten Ali some little pickles in a plastic cup, of which she ate voraciously.
She wanted more pickles, and so she was thrusting her plastic cup at me and saying “More pickles! More pickles!!”. I can only hope that her hand got ahead of her coordination, and she managed to splash ALL of her pickle juice ALL OVER my face. Total coverage.
I’m hoping that was some sort of natural beauty treatment also.
It was so hilarious that I couldn’t help but laugh, and everyone else (including her) joined in.
I mean, if you can’t laugh with pickle juice dripping off your face, then life just isn’t worth living.
If that’s as mischievous as Ali gets, you are blessed. Coming from a mom of a Dennis the Menace…I am very impressed that you were surprised she opened the present. She must be a good child. It would be taunting my children to have a wrapped present in front of them AND they knew it was toy. Mine would have probably unwrapped it, played with it, and then wrapped it back! I think boys are naturally more mischievous. Lola’s seems to be learned and Sawyer’s is natural. I do feel a little let down. With all of your great picture taking…there’s not one of the pickle juice in your face.
Ali knew AJ should have already had her present (Christmas is past), therefore was doing AJ a favor in getting it ready for her to play with the next time she saw her. It really very logical to Ali and me. How was an “almost two year old” to know the pickle juice would splash on you? Again, her logic was she wanted pickles in the cup. Ali is never to blame. LYB,kitty
LOL. It was more as if she poured it on my face, like a rude person would do with their drink to a waiter or an ex-girlfriend or something. But it was definitely laughable!
“not normally mischievous”?
– I fear that the Terrible Twos may be coming.
If so, get ready for a new definition of normal. ;) Not that she’ll become a bad kid, just someone whose only goal is exploring her world.
You seem to already know this, but…
1) Don’t look for logic as a reason for her actions. My kids don’t have rational reasons for their actions yet, and they’re 11, 9, and 6. Her likely thought process? See present. Open present. Oooo! Go show Mommy!
2) Also? Don’t expect remorse to equal future obedience. Insatiable curiosity + zero impulse control = Lots and lots of repetition.
Okay. Lecture over. :) FWIW. It took me 3 kids to get some of this, so I figure I should at least pass it on.
Averi would be proud to know that her friend was “just a little bit naughty” for a day:)