A Conundrum Wrapped in an Enigma

so i'm trying to read with mimi tonight and she insists on reading herself, but every now and then she doesnt read the words exactly right, so of course, the teacher in me butts in and tells her "look again at that word. that says 'splish' it doesnt say 'splishing.' good readers go back and fix it when it doesnt sound right, look right or make sense." mimi ROLLS HER EYES and brazenly tells me, "no."

WHAT? WHAT? my students NEVER said that to me when during a reading workshop. NEVER! i began to sputter and was like, "um, but you HAVE to. you can't just go and read it all wrong. good readers go back and fix it"

then mimi GROWLS. and says, "i dont want to fix it. i'm not a good reader!"

now, i know i should have just left well enough alone. i dont know, call it an imp of perversion, but i glared at her and said, "listen to mommy, and read it the right way."

"NO!" she says. then she tried to STARE ME DOWN. why i didnt just let it go, i dont know. i stared right back at her, my eyes starting to narrow, and my lips grew tense. she just glared right back at me and then said, "if you keep saying that then i wont love you!"

i suck in my breath sharply as if she slapped me and now i'm all fired up. but a sane part of me is like, seriously? you gonna let her get to you like this?

i told her that really was not a nice thing to say and it hurt my feelings. what if i told you i didnt love you? how would that make you feel?

fine! she says. (of course. what did i expect her to say?)

okay, i decide to try to just get her to read the story, but she's too pissed with me, and once she gets offended or pissed she can't back down. just like me. and funny, i am like that but i have no idea how to deal with someone who is just like me! so i tell her that we can't finish reading together then and i'm going to go and she'll have to go to bed, whereupon she begins full out wailing.

it's so random when she gets so upset all of a sudden like this. so i thought, okay, i'm either the most annoying person in her world or she's having a low blood sugar episode. so thinking back on dinner, i realized she really didnt eat much for dinner tonight. so after i get her to calm somewhat, i ask her if she's hungry. she says she is. so we go back downstairs and after polishing off a bowl of raisin bran, she tells me in this really chipper voice, "mom, you're the best mommy in the world and i love you." and i stroke her hair, kiss her forehead, and hug her and tell her how much i love her, as i imagine a solid brick wall where i can repeated bash my head into.

as she is finishing up the last of her cereal, she blurts out, "i am so worried. i'm so worried that i dont know what my son will look like." hunh? wha...?

"what do you mean?" i ask, perplexed.

"i mean, when i'm grown up and i'm a mommy and i have a son, i dont know what my son will look like and i'm very worried." mmm, okaaaay....

she bemoans, "how can i name him if i dont know what he looks like?!" where is this coming from?!

she shakes her head, eyes downcast in a look of pure sorrow and resignation and says, "well, i guess i'll just have to name him something that everyone likes. i guess i'll have to just call him Harry."