Yelled I to Atticus this morning:
STOP SNORTING YOUR PEAR CHIPS!
Let me explain.
Which isn’t too far off from what Arddun’s done before.
(To Atticus)
“What do you want to do?! I DON’T KNOW WHAT YOU WANT TO DO!”
Join the club, kiddo.
I’m driving. Atticus has a full tummy, and is gurgling at the view zipping behind him in reverse. Arddun is strapped in the seat directly behind mine, her awareness of her whereabouts, the general geography of Canberra, the routes we take, the slightest departure from routine ever minutely recorded and questioned.
Ever growing, ever impressive, ever exhausting.
It’s 60kmh down Northbourne Avenue, plenty of time to discuss where we’re going.
“Where are we going now, Mummy?”
“We are going to the Singapore High Commission.”
She chews on that for a few seconds. It’s dinner time, and we are not at home. She notes the quick sinking of the sun, grows a little excited that we are deviating from the norm.
“We are going to see Grandma Singapore?” She turns to a toy companion immediately to give her the news. “We are going to see my Grandma!”
“Er… no, darlin’. We are going to the Singapore High Commission. It’s a different place.”
“Where is Grandma Singapore?”
“In heaven.”
“Are we going to her house?”
“No.”
“Why?”
I pause. Do I tackle the bit about venues, or do I tackle the bit about the afterlife. Decisions.
“Because she doesn’t live in the Singapore High Commission. We are going there for dinner. There’s going to be lots of yummy food! Are we going to try new things tonight?”
“Yeah!”
(Liar.)
“And then,” she continues, “We are going to Grandma Singapore’s house.”
So we are back to that.
“Will she have beds ready for us?”
“Er… no…”
“Does she have a house?”
“Probably. A very big one, I think.” (Will you please turn your hymnals with me to “I got a mansion just over the hilltop”.)
“She’ll have beds for us,” Arddun decides confidently.
“We are not going to her house.”
“Why?”
“Because it’s in heaven.”
“Where is heaven?”
“It’s outside this world.”
“OOOOOHHHHH!” she cries, as if that finally makes complete sense. And then,
“Are we in the world, Mummy?”
“Yes.”
“Then where is Grandma’s house?”
“Out of this world.”
“Does she have a dog?”
I give a short bark of laughter. And then think about it in earnest. Dogs don’t have souls, but maybe that isn’t the way to tackle that question for now.
“Probably not,” I reply slowly. “Grandma doesn’t like dogs.”
“Oooohhh…” I imagine her nodding wisely. And then, confidentially,
“Heaven doesn’t have elephants.”
“It doesn’t?”
“No. It has squirrels.”
“Squirrels.”
“Yes,” my sagacious four-year-old replies. “And cats. And some dogs. But not elephants.”
It’s been a while since I’ve done a monthversary post for Arddun. But if having Atticus has taught me anything thus far, it’s how quickly you forget the details.
And so here’s my snapshot in time. I’ve decided to try an interview, because I think she’s finally old enough to understand most of the questions. Even so, be warned. These answers pertain to the here and now. They might change in the next 30 seconds. ;-)
- What is your favourite colour?
Red. - What is your favourite toy?
Big Kitty (And has been for over 2 years now.) - What is your favourite fruit?
Tomato! (Which is a laugh, because she’s intolerant to it. I think she likes the idea of tomato.) - What is your favourite TV show?
Playschool (Most probably because she watched it this morning.) - What is your favourite thing to eat for lunch?
Green eggs and ham! Like in the story! (Proceeds to make loud chewing noises.) - What is your favourite outfit?
Elsa Dress!
Queen Elsa, hard at work - What is your favourite game?
Computer (I think she means my iPad. Either way, she hasn’t quite answered the question, has she.) - What is your favourite snack?
Cheese - What is your favourite animal?
Dog - What is your favourite song?
Let It Go from Frozen! (Proceeds to sing first verse, just in case I wasn’t sure before.) - What is your favourite book?
Cat in the Hat (An unfair question, really. It’s like asking a mother to choose her favourite child.) - Who is your best friend?
Leila, Giselle, and Emily Woods (Again with the analogy above.) - What is your favourite dinner?
Pasta and chicken and peas (I’m VERY surprised she mentioned the peas.) - What is your favourite thing to do outside?
Blowing bubbles
- What is your favourite drink?
Chocolate milkshake! - Where is your favourite place to go?
Play school - What do you like to take to bed with you at night?
Big Kitty - What is your favourite thing to eat for breakfast?
Strawberries! (She doesn’t have strawberries for breakfast. But now I know.) - What do you want on your birthday?
A Peppa Pig birthday cake! - What do you want to be when you grow up?
Nothing. Excuse me, I need to do a poo.
#End interview#
You crack me up, kiddo.
I’m missing Arddun a lot this evening, and so I thought I’d watch this video for the umpteenth time.
If you’ve ever wondered what goes through a toddler’s head sometimes, then here’s a sample. This is Arddun and her Stream of Consciousness.
Turn up your speakers.
Finding The Happy 