honestly i'm not sure what to title this

this morning as we're all getting ready, j told ainsley - well i'm not sure what he told her.  it was something fairly innocuous, maybe even just calling her a stupid pet name.  they went back and forth for a minute or so, she came and found me in the laundry room. 
she looked right at me, while rubbing her chin, and said (with a pout) 'daddy hit me in the face.' i froze because i knew j hadn't hit her, even accidentally.  they were on different sides of the house. i asked her what she said and she repeated it. 

 i knelt down next to her and said quite sternly, 'no. your daddy didn't hit you. that is a lie. bad.'  she seemed confused as if that wasn't the response she expected.  i walked her into the room with j and we talked to her about it.  she kept to her guns.  we went through if maybe she was remembering something that happened last night or a couple of days ago - a head butt during wrestling, a accidental knock or something.  but no.  we asked 'where' and 'when' repeatedly - not something that really works with a two year old.  

i have a pretty strong guess of where this comes from - and anyone who knew me as a child can see my deviousness in her.  she gets her way in daycare by telling celia that someone hit her or pushed her (lots of times they do to be honest, but there's going to be some bodily contact with six 2-5 year olds in a house!)  I have ultimate trust in celia and none of those kids are dangerous.  my daughter seems to have figured out how to work the system to her advantage.  (i used to do this all the time to my poor little brother. its a wonder he doesn't hate me even now!) she'll come and tell me that maggie hurt her, after i just watched her brush past.  

but -'daddy hit me in the face.'  those are words to freeze the blood. j was understandably a little out of sorts over this.  what if she said it in front of someone?  if we were in target or the grocery store, or gods forbid one of our churches?  they start investigations for less.  

it made me think of all the families that have dealt with something like this - all the child custody cases in divorcing families, all the people attempting to get themselves and their children out of abusive situations.  it's such a complicated, sad, dangerous thing.  

 children can be manipulated (intentionally or not)  to say nearly anything.

and apparently they can manipulate others.  

who knew a 2 year old could lie?  i was preparing myself, but apparently not fast enough!