Share, and share alike

Hi, Daddy!

I know it's way past my bedtime, but Mama said it was okay.   She can be cool like that, sometimes.  We've had a lot of teachable moments around here this week.  Usually Mama is the one doing the teaching, but tonight she was the one doing the learning.  She's mumbling something about “humility,” but I don't know what that means.  Anyway, my favorite word lately has been “mine.”  A lot of my friends use that word too, but I don't like it when they say it.  That word is mine.  And every time I say it, it seems like Mama has some kind of response:

“Yes, Piper, that is yours, but Caleb is using it right now.”

“No, Piper, that's not yours, Kara is just letting you play with it.”

“Piper, that nice lady is not going to steal your snack cup.”

“Honey, here at Gymboree, the toys belong to everyone. We like to share!”

I don't know what “we” she's talking about, because I sure don't like to share.   And as it turns out, Mama doesn't really like to share, either.  I mean, some things she shares, like food and hugs and lip gloss and napkins.  But today she got all weird because someone wanted to use her idea (which, like, isn't even a real thing, anyway.)  She might not have said the word “mine,” but I know she thought it. So tonight, I used her own words against her.  After, like, the sixth time that she thought “that idea was mine!” I started asking her questions.

“Yes, Mama, it is yours.  But are you using it right now?”

“Well...no.”

“Have you used it recently?  Or did you just now notice it because someone else wanted it?”

“Well, yeah, but...what if I wanted to use it?”

“Were you really going to use it later?”

“Maybe!  Okay, probably not.  Um, okay, no.  But it was mine in the first place!  I thought of it!”

“Yeah, so?  What's your point?”

“The point is that it's mine!”

“Mama, if you never used it and aren't planning to use it, then how can it be yours?”

Mama took a deep sigh, smiled a little, and ruffled my hair. “How'd you get so smart, kiddo?” And then I said the smartest thing ever, Dada.  I told her I learned it from watching Elmo.

So it all worked out in the end, I think.  Mama's mostly okay sharing her idea.  Auntie Becca pointed out that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.  I didn't understand what that meant, so Mama took out the big words and said that people like to copy the cool kids.  I'm still a little confused, but I think that Mama's one of the cool kids.  And I think you're pretty cool, too, Dada.  Have fun with sticks, area pee dragon, and ted new jet.  I'm glad you're only gone for a month, and I can't wait to see you when you get home.

P.S. – I don't recommend using Mama's words against her unless you're in another state or in Mama's imagination.  It could get real ugly, otherwise, I think!