ABC Puzzle

Today when I got home from work I did my customary thing: stick my leg through the doorway leading to downstairs and waggle it until Clara sees it and starts to giggle.  Then stick my arm through the doorway and wiggle my fingers until she giggles more.  Then finally stick my head around the corner and say, "Heeeyyyyy!"and pick her up and kiss her all over her face and neck.

She was in the middle of a diaper change, so she was running around in only a T-shirt or, as we like to say in the Shifrin household, she was "Donald Duckin' it."

"Why don't you let me put your clean diaper on?" I asked.

"Nai no wanew," she replied.

"I know you don't want to, Sweets, but I don't want your bottom to get cold."

"Nai no wanew!"

She brought out her ABC puzzle and turned it upside down so all the pieces fell out.  She put the "A" and "B" in, and the "F" and "K."  She put the "E" in backwards.  She put her finger in the "T" space.  She found the "T," but put it in slightly askew so it didn't fit.

"No!" she squealed.  She turned around.  "Daddy."

"You don't need Daddy's help.  You can do it!  Look, it's almost there!"

"No!" She flung the "T" aside and found the "L" and tried to force it upside-down into the "T" spot.

"No, no, no!" she yelled, discarding the "L" and collapsing backwards against Simon. "Nai no!  Nai no!"

Mom, it's impossible!!  Nothing fits in the "T" space!!  EVER!!  Why do I even try?!  It's impossible!!!  It can't be done!!!!

"Okay, let's put it aside and try again later," Simon said to her.  She slumped to the ground with relief.

We finally got her into her jammies and brought her upstairs to her crib.  She put her head on my shoulder and I said, "You are my favorite girl in the whole world," into her hair.  She picked her head up and smiled, and then put her ear close to my lips to invite me to say another nice thing.  "I love you so, SO much," I said.  She smiled again, presented her cheek for a kiss, and pointed to my mouth.

"Tin," she said.

"We were learning about chins tonight," Simon explained.

"Tin," she said, pointing to her chin.  And she put her chin up to my mouth for a kiss.