da-RAMA

Emphasis on the RAMA.

I always thought I'd be an actress. As a child, I was very dramatic and was always making up skits to perform at home and the first in line to take part in our church's plays. I loved the theater and had serious plans to pursue acting. In my senior year of high school, God led me a different direction (for which I'm so grateful), but my love of acting is still deeply ingrained in me. At a very young age, I remember putting the back of my hand up to my forehead, doing my best (which was really very awful) Scarlett O'Hara impression, exclaiming, "Woe is me, the world is over!" and flinging myself onto the couch. I mostly did it to make those around me laugh, but you can see the kind of child my parents had on their hands.

It would appear I may have passed that particular gene onto my child. He signed, "more" to me yesterday and toddled into the kitchen - a sure sign he wanted a snack. I opened our cabinet and pulled out a fig newton, one of Jude's standard favorites. As I leaned over to hand the fig newton (or figgerty newton as I call them when I'm making up random words to my toddler) to Jude, he open his mouth as wide as it would go, pushed the fig newton away, and wailed.

Huh, I thought. That seems a bit much.

Then Jude ran as fast as his 18 month old legs could take him into the living room where he very dramatically flung himself face first on the carpet. He buried his face in the carpet and proceeded to scream...apparently at the audacity of that offensive fig newton.

"Dude." I said, "Seriously? A simple 'no' would've sufficed."

Then Jude lifted up his head to see if I was still looking. When he saw that he did in fact, still have an audience, he continued his little performance - adding in a kicking of his feet for extra good measure.

This behavior has since only heightened and I'm now the lucky recipient of Jude's attempts at the Oscar anytime I dare take away a toy, give him the wrong snack, or any other random thing he deems offensive. I have to admit, I both cringe and giggle (or criggle, if you will) at his antics. At least we know he comes by it honestly.