Who's the Boss?

Sheesh. I've been a bad mommy blogger. Shame on me and my inability to find time to sit down and write. I've wanted to write. Very badly I must say. I feel like I've got lots to share. Mostly funny stories about my Hal gal. But also a few insightful comments that have popped into my head over the past few days. Problem is, they left my head just as fast as they popped up. I'm hoping maybe a jog of my memory will remind me of what I wanted to say. Stay tuned to read my next overdue blog. ;)

Without further ado, here is Hallie's life in a nutshell.....

She's not spoiled at all. She doesn't call the shots around here. No sirree. As her parents we have complete and 100% control over her. Yeah, that's it. Pssshhh. It seems that our near two-year-old has decided to crown herself queen of the house (or neighborhood might be more like it) and now she sits atop her throne made completely of crackers and milk and calls out orders to everyone within earshot. This is not a lie. Come over and see....the throne is for real. Ok, maybe I kid a little. But seriously. These poor dogs. They get the brunt of it. Someday they will pay her back I'm sure. She keeps em on a tight leash (no pun intended) and allows them very little freedom. If their fur so much as touches her when she doesn't want to snuggle it doesn't bode well for the dogs. "NO MEME! MOVE DUCE!" These are Hallie's endearing and incredibly sweet names for our two canines. She started calling them these names on a consistent basis a little over a week ago. She had Lucy's name down pretty well until the queen decided that Lucy shall be called "Duce." A declaration was made in the Land of Fanning and the queen signed it into action...."this yellow-haired canine shall be called Duce." All joking aside I've got to give her some credit for being their best friend at times. They do on occasion receive the biggest hugs and kisses a dog could ask for. On occasion...

So back to making all the rules. Sometimes she shares the rule making task with me. How thoughtful and kind of her highness. Here's one example of her willingness to listen to a peasant such as myself. We had a mess of shoes, dirty play clothes, toys and books strewn about the floor. It was high time we clean up the clutter. Hallie loaded up her baby wagon and did some housekeeping. The wheels of the wagon along with her silly giggle was music to my ears. And seeing her unload her belongings in her room was a great sight to see. There is hope!

Of course she quickly transitioned back into the role of rulemaker by subtly telling me that it was time for me to pull her in the baby wagon once it was empty.....

"It feels good to be back in charge."

Another example of her manipulative ways: Walmart trips. I made the mistake of placing her in the big part of the cart one trip and nothing has been peaceful since. Oh she's happy alright.....but it's just that she doesn't want anything to join her in the big girl basket. Heaven knows I've tried. But try as I might this is how things end up happening.....

"I don't see the problem..."

After a very comical trip through Walmart this evening with me pulling the basket instead of pushing it due to visual obstructions. Hallie gave a nice big "hi" to everyone who walked by. This part warms my heart. But what has me shaking my head and speeding the cart up is her habit of yelling out "dada" to every man who walks by. By the time we left she had twenty different dads and was literally surrounded by plants, plastic tubs and groceries. She just wasn't budging. Oh yeah, and I can't forget to mention that half of the box of peanut butter crackers was somehow missing by the time we checked out. Speaking of the checkout line....I began asking myself like I do on every other trip, "why did I not come alone??" She was chatting it up with the Walmart checker while I attempted to somehow fit all of our items back into the cart. Quite a task considering I'd purchased about ten large items. She didn't seem to care about my dilemma but instead decided to grab the loaf of bread from the cart and smash it with her little paws. Then she took a big ol bite right through the sack. Sara Lee never tasted so good I'm sure. The two of us weary shoppers pulled up in the driveway to find Riley doing some painting on the house. I started unloading while Hallie ran to my side to help. I asked her if she would like to haul in Meme and Duce's food.....well of course she would like to help! Duh. The overzealous tot grabbed the end of the bag and started to pull. And pull. And pull. And then came the tears. She didn't want help....no sirree....she was going to carry in that thousand pound bag of dog food all by herself. God bless her little heart for trying. This is perseverance right here....

"Not right now mom!!!!"

The Fanning girls can agree on one thing. Sonic drinks are sacred. And if I ever get to enjoy one again I'll let you know. Maybe when pigs fly....

I couldn't help but think of Tony Danza the entire time I was writing this post. The kept a clean house, he was witty and funny (well kinda) and he looked good while doing it. Let's do a quick comparison.....Hallie does not keep a clean house. She's a tad on the funny side. And I think she looks pretty darn cute. So to answer my question from above.......Hallie's the boss. 

One last thing though.....do you think Tony ever shoved a banana in the toaster????

How is it that she continues to steal my heart despite her not-so-obedient "terrible two" ways? This is precisely how.....

"Ya know ya love me!"