She's all, "Mom, you're ruining my life!"

Man, they grow up so fast.

Yesterday after work, the Dad brought the lil' dude home. She was still sleeping in her car seat when he put her in the living room.
"She's tired. No afternoon naps, very bucky," the Dad gave me the day care report.

After about 5 minutes, the dog meandered over to the sleeping babe, and slurped her face. She opened her eyes wide, and smiled a sleepy smile. I lifted her out of her seat, and settled in with her on my lap in the big rocker in front of the TV for some TiVo'd "Young and the Restless".

"Can you believe Victor is sleeping with Victoria's BFF? What kind of father is he?" I whispered to the lil' dude, getting comfy.

She wasn't geting comfy. She arched her back, and started to squirm and flail her arms. She started to snort and whimper.
Bucky indeed.

So I tucked the lil' dude half under my arm and put her pluggie in her mouth, standard procedure for this bucky kid. I could feel her little body begin to relax. She turned her face into my chest, eyes getting harder to keep open after every blink.

We watched the soap and rocked for about 10 minutes. The Dad was preparing to take the dog on a walk. The quiet house would definitely help put the lil' dude to sleep.

Before he grabbed the leash, the Dad poked his face over the back of the chair where his girls were sitting, rocking.
"You're not so bucky anymore, huh? Tired little monkey!" he cooed in her face.
Immediately, the lil' dude's eyes became her standard big and alert. She started to smile.

Then, with her tiny, chubby little hand, she ripped her pluggie out of her mouth (it's always attached to a pacifier lanyard so it can't go flying on the dirty floors 76 times a day) and smiled a triumphant pluggie-free smile at her dad. He tousled her fuzzy head and left for his walk.

Then, something miraculous happened.

The lil' dude grabbed her pluggie and shoved it back into her own mouth and settled back down, as if nothing had ever happened. I was shocked! And proud! And yelling for the Dad to hear what his daughter had done!
"Well yeah, she's brilliant," was his reply.

Oh, lil' dude! You're such a big girl! You're growing up way too fast for Mama's liking. Next thing I know you'll be asking for the car keys and how to smoke weed by using an old apple core.