And the Oscar goes to...

Over the course of my life, I had thought I'd seen my fair share of drama. I watch a lot of movies. One time when we were kids Annie got really mad at me for not giving her the roller skates in the yard sale and went inside to be mad, and everyone got all up in arms over it. Let's face it, I'm Italian - I'm like TNT, I know Drama.

Hadley Mae has blown away any dramatic performance I have ever seen before.

The scene is this: We are eating lunch. We are having delicious mashed peas (that smell horrible. I didn't know peas could smell like that, and I'm not looking forward to that diaper) and rice cereal. Hadley has learned a new trick; if she purses her lips and blows out really fast, food goes everywhere. Apparently, this is hilarious. She giggles like crazy once she does it, which no new mother can resist - I laugh too, even though I know I shouldn't be.

After awhile, though, I have to clean my glasses for the second time because there's peas and rice sprayed all over. My daughter still thinks this is the best entertainment since the Red-Yellow-Blue song that the iguana on her jumper gym plays. She's laughing her little diapered ass off.

Some part of me knows that I should be Parenting. I should be correcting this behavior, even though she's only six months old and probably doesn't know any better. Especially since she's getting a positive reaction - I can't help but laugh. So the next time she does it, I scold her.

"No! No! We don't do that!" I say, using my best Mommy Face and my best Mommy Voice. I maintain a scolding expression and scowl. In hindsight, it was probably a bit much.

The reaction I get is amazing. She stops, stares at me for a moment, and then. . .I see the lip. Her big, blue eyes are impossibly wide and staring at me in disbelief, and her lower lip starts to quiver. Her face scrunches up like a little old man, and she instantly begins sobbing. No, not fussing. Not crying. Sobbing. She bunches up both fists and pitches forward in her high chair to put her head down, screaming for anyone to explain to her why she's suffered this injustice.

I instantly felt like a jerk. I was probably being manipulated, sure, but I don't mind much. She's way too cute and watching her cry like that just because I told her "no" was horrible. Of course, that should've set off some warning bells to me - the first time she's told "no" and she immediately makes with the drama - but oh well. It's hard not to spoil something so cute. Especially when she snuggles up to forgive me after some apple juice and playtime.

I am such a sucker.