Toddler Intellect

So, although I have told nearly everyone this story, I need to have it here, as well.

Violet's little brain is working, and working quite well, apparently.

She has this bucket of plastic eggs that she loves dumping all over the floor. Unfortunately, she does not equally enjoy picking them up.

On the morning in question, after dumping the eggs on the floor of her room and playing with them a little, she turned to me and said "eat now." Which means "time for breakfast." I told her that we could go to eat as soon as she picked up all her eggs and put them in her bucket. She clearly did not want to do this, putting one egg in and then walking around for awhile until she put in another one, looking up at me periodically, wondering whether I had forgotten my request.

She has enough will to resist a command from her own father, but not enough to know that if she really wanted to leave, all she would need to do is turn around and walk out the door. I wanted her to pick up the eggs and she didn't want to. If she didn't pick up the eggs, she couldn't leave her room and have breakfast. How was she going to get out of this?

Knowing how much I care for her, she said "Papa, I have owie."

"Oh, really, Violet? Where?"

"In other room."

No, I didn't fall for it, but I did give her a big hug for her ingenuity. And I picked up half the eggs for her.