Drawing

Ella has started drawing figures. Fairies mainly. When questioned why they didn't have arms she said they didn't need them. (They are fairies after all.) When asked why they had such big feet, she said "But mum! That's their shoes. And fairies have big shoes." I couldn't get an answer as to why they don't have bodies.

The second shape is their house. The little insect type thing is a baby fairy. The round thing at the first fairy's head is not a text balloon. It's her ball. When I asked how she was going to play with the ball when she didn't have arms I got a "The ball can play by itself" reply. Duh.

Unconditional love

After dinner:

Ella - Can I have an ice cream for desert now?
Me - Oh, go on then.
Ella [walking out of the room] - I love you mum!
[Then quickly] - I don't just say that I love you because I can have an ice cream, you know.
Me - I'm so glad you said that, Ella.

Aspirations

Conversation in the car:

Ella - When I grow up I'm going to be a superhero, mum.*
Me - That'll be fun.
Ella - And then I'll be able to lift up really big stones by myself.
Me - That's handy. Then you can build a house for me.
Ella - Yeah!
[Pause]
Ella - Can I come live in your house too?
Me - Of course you can! You can live in my house whenever you want. (Will I regret recording this statement?)
Ella - Yay! I can't wait to be a superhero, mum!

* For those who did not know yet, Ella is currently a fairy and will be a superhero when she grows up. We decided that therefor fairies are really just superhero trainees.

Economic policy for preschoolers

I got very angry this morning when I read about increasing the pensions and income support for poor families to "boost the economy". (I mean, the government thinks it's alright for the poor to struggle when the economy is healthy, but then we use them as economic fodder when things go pear shaped? Jeez!) I was so angry I got tears in my eyes. So Ella asked me why I was so upset.

I thought for a while and then came up with: "The bosses of the country only care about the poor people when they can make the rich people richer."

"Ah", she said and went back to watching ABC Kids.

Do you feel lucky? Well, do ya, punk?

Ella was sitting on the couch with me and 'new cat'.

Me - Ella, it is really time for bed now. It's very late already and we'll have to get up early tomorrow to go to daycare. And New Cat needs to go to bed too, because I can tell he's tired.
Ella - The cat says he don't want to go to bed.
Me - Now cat, you really have to go to bed now because it's very late and…
Ella - I want to say that!
Me - Ok.
Ella [looking sternly into new cat's eyes] - Cat, you still have to go to bed because it's very late.
[Carefully weighted pause]
Ella - Take a chance: naughty corner… or bed.

Clever kids

At the coast on the weekend playing on the terrace railing:

Ella - I'm going to do something really dangerous. Something grown-ups can't do. Only kids can.
Me - Why can't grown-ups do it?
Ella - Because grown-ups aren't clever.

Have I ever mentioned she's a smartarse and a know-it-all? But I probably should do some work on improving her image of 'the adult'!

Right and wrong

As I sent Ella off to bed, she asked me where "new cat" was.

Me - It's not here. It must be in your room.
Ella - It's not in my room.
Me - Look, it's not on my bed. Are you sure you had a good look in your room? Maybe it's under the blanket?
Ella (walking to the other side of the bed) - It is there! Look, it's on the floor!
Me - Well, I was wrong and you were right.
Ella - Why were you wrong?
Me - I can be wrong sometimes. Good, isn't it?
Ella (looking back at me from the doorway) - I'm never wrong.
Me - Yeah, I'd caught onto that.