Where I wish I had more patience, and didn’t giggle as much

Lately, at home, we’re having a hard time with Leila asking for things, nicely. Basically, as soon as she decides what she wants, she demands it – and if she doesn’t get it right away, she whines and cries and tantrums and pouts; In other words, my daughter acts like I do when I’m hungry — apples don’t fall from their trees.

When she triggers my every last nerve is being difficult, my hope is to simply ignore the tirade and get her to ask, politely, for whatever it is that she would like. But, my patience is nowhere near as long as it needs to be for such a task to be successful. So, last weekend, I informed my little princess that she needs to ask nicely.

My voice may have been raised when I told her so.

And Leila hadn’t napped that day, though she had woken before the sun.

Leila burst out into a relatively impressive tantrum.

I went about my task of ignoring said tantrum when I looked up to see a wrath-faced little boy looking at me. CJ had been playing Lego Star Wars on the Wii while I prepared dinner, but he stopped playing. He was staring daggers at me.

“You. No. Yell. At. My. Sister.” he informed me, firmly (it’s downright scary to see how well he mimics my “you better as hell pay attention” voice).

A big part of me wanted to tell him that he’s not the boss. But I broke out in giggles.

May god have mercy on the soul of Leila’s first boyfriend.