When Maya gets bigger...

This is the refrain we've been hearing 600 times a day:

"When Maya gets bigger, she'll be able to hop on one foot like me."

"When Maya gets bigger, she'll be able to eat pizza like me."

"When Maya gets bigger, she'll be able to play with me."

"When Maya gets bigger, she'll try to steal my toys."

"When Maya gets bigger, she'll be able to blink her eyes. See like this." (blink, blink)

"Someday, Maya will be able to climb on the back of the couch and put her arms up in the air like me. When she gets bigger."

"When Maya gets bigger, she'll be able to sleep in my bed with me."

"When Maya gets bigger, she'll be able to stick her tongue out like this." (waggle, waggle)

What Ella isn't saying: when Maya gets bigger, she'll compete even more for your attention, she'll take my stuff and you'll probably let her, she'll take over my bed and she'll be able to do the nifty things I can do and what will have left to show off with?

Oh, Ella, we love you just because you're you (even though I have been stuck in the house with you for the past 6 days and I felt like I was going to yank my hair out of my scalp one by one for the sheer fun of it.) Seriously, though, I'm back to work to day, up and showered in REAL clothes and I feel so much better (seven days later.) But last night I told Sandi I would take the movies back because I just HAD to get out of the house. Ella said, "What's wrong with this house? I like it here."