Naysayers

No is the word of the house now. I don't like saying no, no, no all the time. I don't like that Emma and Ethan say it more clearly and more regularly than any other word. I try to redirect instead of saying no when I can, but as the babies have become more and more mobile, our new favorite word shows up more and more as well. I am a little sad about the negativity it brings into my house even though it is a very necessary and important word. I like letting them make messes with the Tupperware in the kitchen now and then or pull all of the clothes out of the dresser. I let them play with whatever of mine that they want: my necklace, my bracelet, my phone, my iPod, my hair brush....  I try to reserve most of the no's for the really important things.

The babies say it enough for all of us. They are the cutest little no-it-alls. They walk around the house no-ing everything. They start a no chant and stomp around the living room in a no marching band.
They even say no when they clearly mean yes. They may still be working out the difference between no and its rarely heard counterpart yes.  But sometimes I think NO just seems so much more fun to say.

Ethan screams NO if you take something away from him. He paces back and forth in disbelief, scrunching his face and shaking his head at the wrongness of it all: No, no, no!

They point to things they know are no-no's and label them as such.

Emma shakes her finger, no, no, no.

When Ethan first wakes in the morning, he sometimes practices his no's softly to himself. He knows there will be plenty of no-ing to do today.

If Emma isn't ready to go to sleep, don't you dare sing her a lullaby or try to rock her. You will be immediately corrected: "No!"

"Did you go poo-poo?"

"No."

"Can I have that?"

"No."

"Do you want a bite?"

"No."

"Are you ready for bed?"

In unison: "NO!"