That's you.

A while ago, I bought the girls some ice cream in town.

Little red-haired girl told me she had to potty, so I took her to the bathroom.

As we were washing our hands, she noticed I took two paper towels instead of one. She asked me why I did that.

Because I'm a rebel, I told her. 

She giggled: "I'm a rebel!"

We went back out to eat our ice cream. She told her Daddy: "I'm a rebel!"

The scene above repeated itself on the Fourth of July. Little red-haired girl noticed, again, that I took two paper towels.

She remembered our conversation from the ice cream store.

"Monica a rebel!"

I'm trying to teach the girls that they don't have to listen to the man. They are free to be rebels, be badasses, and be outsiders. 

I want the girls to know that they can stand up to authority if they feel strongly about something (like me when it comes to my health care). You do not have to fit inside the box in life. You can color outside the lines. Tell the man to shove it and make your own rules.

Later that night, after we ate our ice cream, I told the girls to pick up their toys. 

Little red-haired girl told me no and walked away. My brother didn't hesitate to throw that in my face.

"I thought you were teaching them to be rebels? How's that working out for you?"

SHUT UP.

To quote one of my favorite John McCutcheon songs: You teach kids to be strong and stand up to authority...and then you realize, that's you.

I still stand by my life lesson. 

Stand up to authority, girls. Challenge people, sit at the table, and speak up and defend yourselves to hell and back if you have to in order to get what you want and what you need. 

Just don't challenge me, okay?