As if we didn't already know Sunday (and the terrible twos) were not far off

Scene this morning:

It's a few minutes before 6:00 a.m. I had been awake for about a half hour anyway. I get out of bed. Lexi is already awake and has asked Sarah to lift her out of the Pack and Play, where she sleeps next to Sarah. Lexi is lying on the floor, almost wedged in between Sarah's bed and her toy box. She's throwing a mild tantrum:

"I want the cracker."

Whining.

"I want the cracker!"

Whining.

"I need the cracker."

This is the first time I've heard her say need in a sentence, instead of want. I didn't know a 2-year-old's requirements so early in the morning were that serious.

So I take her to the kitchen and try to convince her that we don't eat crackers first thing in the morning, offering her some cereal instead.

More whining.

So I offer her a graham cracker, figuring that wasn't so bad.

But no, she wants an animal cracker.

Three animal crackers later, finally we have a quiet child.

Lexi turns 2 on Sunday, but she's already days ahead of this terrible phase.