I know that this term must be an expression of how much they adore me, because whenever they call me MommyCanIHave… they also look up at me with beaming smiles and adorable puppy eyes. They have been practicing this irresistible facial expression since birth, and they are now quite good at it.

Unfortunately for my little princesses, their daddy and I live in the grown up world where the money that comes out of the wall at the bank must first be earned by Daddy going to work, and then sent to the bank before we can get it out of the wall. In this unpleasant grown up world, the money that comes out of the wall at the bank must first be gobbled up by our mortgage bill, electrical bill, phone bill, cable bill, and all those other hungry bills that must be fed every month, or else our world will not stay as pleasant as it is now.

So when I have the unpleasant but necessary task of saying “No” at least ninety percent of the times that my adoring little angels call me MommyCanIHave…, and they flash that irresistible puppy face – I know what is coming next. The beaming smiles vanish instantly, and now my name becomes MommyWhyNot!!??!!???!! For any of you parents who haven’t figured this one out yet – they really don’t care about the actual reasons that you have for saying “No.” Oh, no, my friend! Their devious goal is to wear you down, remind you that all of their friends have It (whatever it happens to be at the moment), that their little lives will be miserable without It, and your name is now TheMeaniestMommyintheWorld.

So my friends, always remember and never forget: When God creates children, He makes them cute and irresistible so we won’t be so tempted to sell them to the gypsies.

Love,

Mommy Bear