With five children in the house all summer there’s been a rash of “I’m tellin” outcries and then the aggrieved party stomps in to see me with a complaint about their persecuting sibling.

It’s become a constant.

I know it’s bad because this morning my two year old followed me to the bathroom and I told her I had to shower. So when I closed the door she began banging on it and yelling for me to open it. My two year old is like Ricky Ricardo in that when she gets upset she’s impossible to understand.

So she bangs on the door and yells “Adididhahhhsssllabacataa.” Well to be more accurate it was Adididhahhhsssllabacataa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” Then she paused to see if her imperative statements convinced me but after a few seconds she harrumphed, “I’m tellin’!” I heard her walk away a few steps and stop. I think she realized that there was nobody to tell so she came back to the door to tell me that Dad wouldn’t let her in the bathroom.

By this time I was done with my three minute shower. I was already changed and ready for the day so I opened the door expecting to be hugged, kissed and hailed as a returning hero. But my two year old simply looked up at me for a moment, turned, and walked away.

All I could think is that I’m going to have to tell my wife that our two year old might be a problem over the next twenty years or so. So in short, I’m tellin’!!!!!!!