P-T-E-R-S

I have to confess that sometimes I get so frustrated with Avery I want to call her mean names. In some twisted way I think it will make me feel better, but I know it will come back to haunt me so I just spell them out instead because she won't know what I'm saying. (These are my bad mom moments. Please tell me I'm not the only one who has them, not that that justifies the behavior.)

I say things like, "If you don't stop being such a B-R-A-T, I don't know what I'm going to do with you!"

Now when Avery gets mad at me she spells, too. It's pretty amusing. She'll get all huffy and say, "Mom, you need a P-T-E-R-S!"

I'm just waiting for her to spell a real word by coincidence, but so far it's P-T-E-R-S every time. Maybe if I got a little more creative with what I call her, she would, too.

Nah, better not.