She said what???

     As a mom of two young children, I am well aware that kids often say completely embarrassing things out of pure innocence.  I wasn't phased when my 2-year-old son declared loudly, "That man is black," on the way out of a restaurant one day.  I calmly explained that, while he is African-American, it is not necessary to comment on the color of someone's skin.  I wasn't shocked when that same child pointed out that I had a large pimple on my face.  Thanks, but mommy is well aware of her pimple.  Naturally, kids comment on the world around them without any judgement or ill-will. 

    I am prepared for all sorts of comments, but not for what I thought I heard last week.  I was co-hosting a baby shower for a friend that already had her baby.  I volunteered to hold the 2-month-old while the mom got some food to eat.  Adelaide spied me from across the room and started whining.  Arms raised in a "pick me up" gesture, Adelaide hurried over to us.  Unable to pick them both up, I sat down on the couch and tried to talk to Adelaide about the baby girl I was holding.  Adelaide reached for her and said, "I want to k____ her."  It wasn't completely clear WHAT she wanted to do to the baby, I asked if she wanted to kiss her.  "No, I don't want to kiss her, I want to k______ her."

    "You want to what?"

     "I want to k______ her," Adelaide said again.  All during this conversation, Adelaide kept grabbing at the baby.  I could not figure out what she was saying, but it sounded a lot like "I want to kill her."  Just as Adelaide and I were having this back-and-forth conversation, baby's mom walked up.  Once again, Adelaide said the unthinkable.

     "I want to kill her." 

     The more she said it, the clearer it sounded.  My friend pretended not to hear the same thing, but I was mortified.  Unsure of what to do, I told my friend that it sounded like Adelaide was saying she wanted to kill her.  Where would my sweet and innocent little girl have learned such a thing?  My mind was spinning--what had she watched, who had she been around, how did this happen, and how do I get through this incredibly awkward situation?

     I stopped letting Adelaide talk and just started cooing over the baby.  Isn't she cute, Adelaide?  Look at her little fingers.  Oh, she has a giraffe on her jammies.  Isn't it cute?  After a couple minutes, baby's mom walked off again.  Just in time, too, because Adelaide then started asking me to put the baby on the ground.  Not again, I thought.  Why does she want the baby to be on the ground?  Feeling like a horrible mother with a jealous little daughter, I decided to return the baby and put this conversation to rest.  Just then, Adelaide said it one more time...

     "I want to carry her!" 

     "You want to CARRY her?" I asked.

     "Yes, I want to carry her!"  My little girl didn't want to kill the baby, she wanted to carry her!  She wanted the baby down on the floor so she could play with her!  She is a loving little mom, not a homicidal toddler!  I wasted no time finding baby's mom and letting her know what Adelaide really said.  She laughed--obviously not very concerned.  I, on-the-other-hand, felt complete relief.  My little angel's good-nature was still in tact.  Thank goodness!