Ex Pat Mamma

Monday, April 14, 2008

Perhaps I underestimate toddlers

perhaps I have low expectations, but er pupo continues to astonish me with the things he "knows." He a walking dictionary who translates everything: "mamma car; papá machinna; school bíll" and so on (and moreover constantly catching mum out when he asks for the word in Icelandic for cement mixer; or, shaming mother further, asking for the English word for those lorries that carry oil, or milk, or any liquid in a big long cylander. The italian is "autocisterna." Answers on a postcard, please.

But I am more impressed, and simultaneously disturbed, by his whole-hearted embracement of capitalism. The boy goes into my bag, pulls out my purse, takes out the coins and insists: "mette orso." If I really insist, he will tell me in English (because clearly I am too stupid) "bear, bear" which is his teddybear shaped piggy bank. And off he goes with his collection. He hasn't quite worked out about paper notes, or maybe they don't give such a satisfying clonk sound, but thankgoodness we are in the age of cellphones and I don't need emergency cash for a phonecall very often.

He also now goes around the supermarket and puts things he fancies in the basket. And I don't know HOW this is possible, but he has some radar for anything that contains chocolate. I mean, how is it that a 2 yo who has never been given smarties can recognise a packet from 100 paces?

Meanwhile, he is interested in the new arrival to come; or rather, quite possibly 2 new arrivals because er pupo also has a baby in his own tummy which moves frequently as he likes to tell me (I don't like to steal the magic by pointing out that the rumbling is probably just a big fart brewing). That, I hope, will happen soon indeed as I am now very sore and stiff and trying to find just about any excuse possible NOT to finish an essay that I can't be bothered researching.

Will let you know what comes out and when

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