Allie was in her high chair having dinner earlier when she pointed out the window to the backyard and said, “Ball? Allie get ball?”
I asked, puzzled, “Ball?”
“Uh-huh.” She nodded.
“Outside?” She nodded again. “There’s a ball outside?”
“Yeah!”
“How did a ball get outside? Did Allie bring it outside?”
“Yeah.” I was really just stalling since I just wanted her to finish her dinner. But she kept at it. “Allie get ball. Allie get ball!”
“Mama will get the ball for you,” I offered, walking to the window and looking out. I didn’t see a ball. I walked to the sliding glass door and looked there. No ball. “I don’t see a ball,” I told her. “Maybe Auntie Jayne brought it back in for Allie.”
She was quiet for awhile, seeming to be satisfied with my response as she speared some green beans with her fork and put it in her mouth. Then she brought it up again. “Ball, ball! Allie get ball!” She was looking teary-eyed.
“Which ball? Is it big or little?”
“Big.” Well, that rules out the tennis ball and the little water ball that’s sometimes kept outside.
I looked out the window again. “I don’t see a ball, baby. I don’t think it’s out there anymore.”
She looked me pleadingly in the eyes and said, searching for each word, “Big. Toy. Toy ball. Pink.”
“Toy ball? Your pink toy ball?”
“Yeah!”
Mr. W said unceremoniously from the kitchen, “She makes stuff up.”
The image of her swirly-patterned pink bouncing ball came to mind. It’s the size of a soccer ball and is usually in the living room. I went and looked in the usual spots, with the intention of showing her that it was in the house and not outside…only the ball was nowhere to be seen. “She might be right,” I told Mr. W, returning to the dining room. I went out into the backyard, looked around, and saw pink peeking out from behind a bush, where it was not visible from the windows. I walked around and there was that ball. I picked it up and brought it into the house, where Allie grinned and reached out to me, and I said to Mr. W, “See what happens when you call your daughter a liar?”

This is right in line with Allie’s new “thing,” where she announces who’s responsible for what action. If she drops something, even if it’s just food from her fork, it’s “Uh-oh. Allie did that. Mama help Allie.” If I dropped something, instantly I hear from behind me, “Mama did that! Mama did it!” My little spy is almost ready.