mine.

The other night when Kale was screaming at his own shadow, "no, Kale's car! Mine!" I turned to Kris and said "I think we've officially hit the "mine" stage." 

I'm not sure I've mentioned this in the past but the "mine" and "no" stage are the two I have been dreading the most. Not much presses my buttons more than a person being so completely and utterly irrational. Even if they are only two. 

In the past week, EVERYTHING suddenly belongs to Kale. This is his face when I try to convince him otherwise: 

We thought we were doing pretty good by teaching Kale to take turns. In fact, Kale is always certain to make sure everyone has a turn at whatever he's doing. Kale pees? "Mama's turn pee!" Kale blows his nose? "Papa's turn blow nose!" (with the same snotty kleenex, of course). But combine taking turns with the "mine" stage and "my turn" has become Kale's ultimate comeback. 

"Kale, you can't eat the entire bag of chocolate chips - they're for baking!" 

"No! Kale's chocolate chips! MINE!" 

"Uh, no, they're not Kale's - they're for the cookies. Give them to mama, please." 

"No! MINE! KALE'S TURN! NO COOKIES TURN!" 

Let's just say that, uh, patience around here has been limited. Oh, the reasoning of a toddler..... 

If it's mine it's mine,

if it's yours it's mine,

if I like it is mine,

if I can take it from you it is mine,

if I am playing with something ALL of the pieces are mine,

if I think it is mine it is,

if I saw it first it's mine,

if I had it then put it down it is still mine,

if you had it then you put it down it is now mine,

if it looks like the one I have at home it is mine,

if it is broken it is yours.