We were riding home from daycare and Ella was on the back of the bike holding a little toy snake and chatting away to herself.
When I finally tuned into what she was saying, I heard this:
Ella - Waa waa. Baby, stop it!
Waa waa. Baby, stop it!
Waa waa. Baby, stop it!
Waa waa. BABY, STOP IIIIT!
Me - Ella, you shouldn't really yell at a baby like that. Maybe he just needs a cuddle, or maybe he's hungry or has a dirty nappy.
Ella - No, the snake just eaten all his friends.
I was genuinely horrified at this reply! The thought of the little imaginary baby who had just seen all his little friends being devoured by a monstrous snake and got no comfort from his mum and was being yelled at to stop crying on top of it actually made tears well up in my eyes.
I talked to her about the poor little baby needing a cuddle instead of a yelling at and the rest of the trip the dialogue from the back of the bike went something like:
Ella - Laugh baby, laugh!
Hahaha!
Mum, the baby laughed.
Laugh baby, laugh.
Hahaha! You're so funny, Ella.
21 May 2008
18 May 2008
How proud?
Well-done's and you're-such-a-big-girl's I use very frequently, but my I'm-so-proud-of-you's are used very sparingly in our house.
On the weekend I had a very good reason to use the P word. After a week of ever more frequent toilet accidents, things escalated last Friday night and I had to re-assess my reactions and think about strategies to put in place. But Ella insisted that she could avoid accidents without the help of the kitchen timer to remind her of when to go. I gave her one day to prove it to me before we got out the timer again to give her a bit of a hand.
She had no accidents the next day. When I told her I was so proud of her, she actually blushed, said 'thankyou' in an almost honoured tone and then asked: "How proud are you, mum?".
So of course I spread my arms as wide as I could to indicate my level of pride. But obviously, my arms aren't really long enough anyway.
On the weekend I had a very good reason to use the P word. After a week of ever more frequent toilet accidents, things escalated last Friday night and I had to re-assess my reactions and think about strategies to put in place. But Ella insisted that she could avoid accidents without the help of the kitchen timer to remind her of when to go. I gave her one day to prove it to me before we got out the timer again to give her a bit of a hand.
She had no accidents the next day. When I told her I was so proud of her, she actually blushed, said 'thankyou' in an almost honoured tone and then asked: "How proud are you, mum?".
So of course I spread my arms as wide as I could to indicate my level of pride. But obviously, my arms aren't really long enough anyway.
14 May 2008
First swear word
Yesterday at the check-out in the local supermarket, Ella suddenly exclaimed very proudly: "Poo bum!" followed by fits of laughter.
It was so hard not to join in with the giggling. But of course I had to look stern and unimpressed and had the "things that are funny when you tell your friends are not always funny when you tell grown-ups" talk.
She just looked confused and I don't blame her.
It was so hard not to join in with the giggling. But of course I had to look stern and unimpressed and had the "things that are funny when you tell your friends are not always funny when you tell grown-ups" talk.
She just looked confused and I don't blame her.
12 May 2008
06 May 2008
Girls rule!
I bought Ella a pair of socks that have the text "Girls rule" printed on them. I've been trying to explain what it means to her but I only get responses like: "Yeah, cos I'm a girl and I know the rules, don't I?". Hm, not quite the message I was trying to get through.
She learnt some other new phrases and words. One of them is "It's not the end of the world", which I have requested her to say to me when I overreact when things don't go as planned. Only, last Sunday - as I was frantically trying to make the most of a dinner that would not let itself be cooked the way I wanted it - she told me: "It's not the end of the day, mum". [Well, it is for me! I'm going to bed!]
Another great statement today was: "I like Stacey (carer at creche). She says silly things. I only do silly things." Is there an equivalent in English for the Dutch saying "self-knowledge is the start of all wisdom"?
And I forgot to mention our new catch phrase: "Peace possum party people, party people" from our new Blossom Possum book. A tough phrase to say even when you're not a gecko on party drugs. But it sounds pretty damn cool.
She learnt some other new phrases and words. One of them is "It's not the end of the world", which I have requested her to say to me when I overreact when things don't go as planned. Only, last Sunday - as I was frantically trying to make the most of a dinner that would not let itself be cooked the way I wanted it - she told me: "It's not the end of the day, mum". [Well, it is for me! I'm going to bed!]
Another great statement today was: "I like Stacey (carer at creche). She says silly things. I only do silly things." Is there an equivalent in English for the Dutch saying "self-knowledge is the start of all wisdom"?
And I forgot to mention our new catch phrase: "Peace possum party people, party people" from our new Blossom Possum book. A tough phrase to say even when you're not a gecko on party drugs. But it sounds pretty damn cool.
04 May 2008
The art of flattery
Me - Ella, I asked you to pack up these games here ages ago. Just look at this mess. Now I have to pack them up and I have so much other stuff to do... (and so on...)
[Pause] Oh my, just listen to me. Boy, I can nag! I am the best nagger, don't you think?
Ella - [chuckling] No, you're not. You're just the best mama.
She's going to go far in life, this girl.
[Pause] Oh my, just listen to me. Boy, I can nag! I am the best nagger, don't you think?
Ella - [chuckling] No, you're not. You're just the best mama.
She's going to go far in life, this girl.
01 May 2008
Lost
After Ella won a game:
Me - You won! And I lost.
Ella - But I'm right here. Look, I'm right here, mum. So you're not lost.
Me - You won! And I lost.
Ella - But I'm right here. Look, I'm right here, mum. So you're not lost.
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