Oh, please!

I try to teach my children manners, but it's tough. I am a pretty casual person -- I don't really notice whether someone says please or thank you, as long as they are nice about it. So I am not as strict with Lulu and Boo on this front as I probably should be, though now that Lulu has gone crazy and isn't all that nice much of the time, I have cracked down on please. She'll snap "Mama, I want to quit you" and I simply respond patiently with "Don't you mean, 'I want to quit you, please'?" That does not go over well.

Boo, who at 20 months misses nothing has noticed the power of please and adapted it for his own purposes. This weekend at nap time, I rocked him and gently said, "OK, Boo, time for nap!" He shook his little head no and said "play?" I said no and he thought for a moment and piped up "please?" He added in the baby sign for good measure. It's seriously cute, and Boo has me completely wrapped around his finger, but I resisted and plopped him in the crib anyway. He was not, um, pleased.

He persists with his new word, though. The kid is definitely determined. He tacks on an earnest "please?" to every little baby demand, from more cookies to more kisses, and at least for the latter, he is happily rewarded.

Things I Love This Week

1. The Wonder Pets, because Lulu and Boo LOVE the Wonder Pets, especially Ming Ming the duckling. It keeps them occupied during that crucial half-hour before bed when everyone, including me, is tired and cranky (and then Lulu gets one extra episode while I get Boo to sleep). And there is nothing cuter than when I sing "What's gonna work?" and baby Boo shouts out "Teamwork!"

2. The Twilight series, because I haven't gotten as completely absorbed in a book since Harry Potter. I read all four books in 8 days. Edward vs. Jacob. Vampires vs. Werewolves. What's not to love? It's an utterly fascinating world. Oh, and ignore the reviews that say Breaking Dawn is over the top. Who picks up a book about vampires and expects it to be realistic? It's fantasy!

3. My new iPhone, because it's neat. Yeah, I know everyone loves their iPhone, but so what? I never claimed to be original.