Pony Rides and "No" Storms

Dagney has taken to riding me every chance she gets. I work on my computer a lot laying on my stomach, and she likes to sit on my back and jump up and down, whip me, and laugh maniacally. She's actually a pretty decent little jockey.

She is also now in the habit of saying "no" all the time; it is by far her most often spoken word (probably her most often heard, too!). The other day, I was changing her diaper in a public restroom, and she was yelling, "Noo, mama! Noo!" She also tells Sammy "no" when he barks, and my personal favorite: She repeats "Noo; noo" the entire time she's doing something that she knows she's not supposed to-- like digging in the garbage or playing in Sammy's water bowl. Today, she was pushing the play button on the answering machine. It was saying, "No new messages," but she wasn't letting it finish before pushing the button again, so it was saying, "No, no, no, no...." Dagney started yelling, "No! No! No!" at the machine, like she was arguing with it!

I'm starting to have a complex-- I'm afraid that maybe I'm not very good at picking my battles; that I should say "yes" more often. I've started letting her play in the dishwasher while I'm loading and unloading (after I do knife recon). She's also allowed to empty boxes and shelves and litter their contents all over the house, provided I know there's nothing dangerous in there. Maybe before long, she'll learn "yes" too and I won't feel like such a lame mom!