Be Very, Very Fearful

A few weeks ago Amanda started telling us to "be fearful". At first we were worried she'd picked up some obscure fear from somewhere or another, but we quickly figured out that she meant "careful". Isn't it funny how the two words sound so close together? Even though I know she's just telling us to be careful, it all of a sudden makes her sound so much more afraid of the world - something we're hoping to fend off for at least a few more years, if not forever!

It has made for some very cute moments though. Mandy is so maternal and helpful these days, and so this phrase comes up very frequently. For example, Jeff was heading out last night just as I was getting her ready for bed, so they said their goodnights. Amanda was a bit perturbed that he was going out so late, but once she figured out he was "going to work" (to help out with an evening event at the school), it was OK. But then she said "Daddy, it's slippery outside - be very, very fearful". Jeff agreed, then it was "It's cold - be very fearful - wear a coat", and "Be fearful and drive slow, it's very icy" (yes, she is already criticizing our driving!).

And speaking of driving...another charming habit Amanda has picked up in the last few weeks is yelling at other drivers. Yes, I am well-known in our household for making (ahem) suggestions to other drivers quite frequently. I don't use bad language or anything (usually) but I do say a lot of things like "Come on dude!" and "Move it, lady!". I never really thought about it, until a couple of weeks ago when I was stopped at a red light behind a woman who was too scared to make her totally legal right turn, and when I sighed in exasperation, Amanda yelled "Come on lady! Move!". We've since tried to explain that it's not really nice to say things like that, but it's also incredibly cute, so I'm guessing we'll just snicker quietly every time it happens and deal with the consequences later. :)

Who me? Yell crazy things at drivers? No way...