Saturday, December 22, 2012

Foxy, Santa...

Raglan is on the small side and doesn't have a big supermarket, so today I decided to go into Hamilton to do a big supermarket shop before Christmas.  I knew this would be much easier sans child, but at first she was determined she wanted to come with me.  Then Mum happened to mention the Christmas party day which was happening at the recently rebuilt Raglan Wharf.  Once she heard Santa was likely to be present, Ember changed her mind very quickly.  I dropped Em, Si and Tabasco (our dog) home, picked up the shopping bags and headed off.

Apparently, not long after I left, Ember started bugging Si about taking her to the Christmas party.

Si: What party?
Em: At the fox.
Si: The fox? What's the fox?
Em: The party is there, and Santa is coming. At the fox.
Si: I don't know where the fox is.
Em: The fox! Mummy said it!

Finally he texted me, asking where the Xmas party was that Ember was talking about, and I replied that it was at the wharf.  They wandered down, but it turned out that Santa wasn't coming until later, so I took her down again when I got home, and we had a great time, Santa and all.  I hadn't heard the first part of the conversation, but it came up later when Ember (who is a late toilet trainer but has recently graduated to doing poos on the potty) did a poo in her night nappy, and I was changing her.

Me: I was just thinking today how nice it was not to have to do this anymore.
Si: Why didn't you go poos in the potty or on the toilet Em?
Em: I thought Mummy and Daddy wasn't here!
Me: Don't be silly, where would we have gone?
Em: The fox!
Si: The fox?
Em: Yeah, where Santa was!
Si: Oh, you mean the wharf.
Em: Oh yeah, the wolf.

And suddenly it all became clear!

Thursday, December 20, 2012

Tricks and treats

Ember is quite fond of "treats" - lollies (sweets/candy depending on your part of the world), chocolate, lollipops etc - and although we limit the amount she is allowed, she does ask for them fairly often. This time of year there are lots around, so it's been worse than usual, and this morning she had a bit of a meltdown because she wanted a candy cane and I said no. It was so bad I ended up taking her for a drive, and when she calmed down we had (another) chat about how treats weren't good for your body or your teeth etc etc.

It's obviously been preying on her mind as she suddenly rushed up to me this afternoon, several hours after the "event" and said:

Em: Mama, I'm practicing some really good tricks for school! Because I'm trying, I think that I'm learning special tricks for when I go to school so I don't ask to have treats anymore. But my throat likes treats, and it tells me to want treats and that's why I ask for lollies and candy canes and things, but I'm learning special tricks to stop my throat telling me that. Because then I will have to go to the doctor or have holes in my teeth. (Pause) Bye Mama!

And off she went! We'll see how long it will last. :)

Sunday, December 16, 2012

I'd rather have cherry Chapstick...

Ember was just singing along to "I kissed a girl". Her version goes:

"I guessed a nude and I lied it
La la la hairy chopsticks"

Saturday, December 15, 2012

Interesting taste in movies...

Simon and I got out 'The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel' on DVD a few nights ago, but the first time we tried to watch it, we both fell asleep on the couch - attributed to a long day with Miss Em rather than the quality of the movie! Last night, just as Em was about to go to bed, Simon said

Si: Shall we watch the rest of that movie tonight?
Em: (ears pricking up) What movie?
Me: it's called 'The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel'.
Em: Can I watch it with you?
Me: No, you're going to bed! Besides, I don't think you'd like it.
Em: Has it got scary bits in it?
Me: No.
Em: Has it got just one little tiny scary bit?
Me: Nope.
Em: has it got naughty bits in it?
Me: Um.... No....
Em: Is it violent?
Me: No!
Em: Oh. I'll go to bed then.

I really don't know what she meant by naughty bits but I assume it wasn't what it sounded like!

Monday, December 3, 2012

Star bully

Ember and I are in Auckland at the moment, helping Mum pack up her house in preparation for moving, and this afternoon we popped over to Sylvia Park shopping centre. Ember was sitting on a chair eating a berry sorbet when she suddenly pointed at some random person and whispered:

Em: [whispering] That girl is a bully! [pause; normal voice] Mum, what does bully mean?
Me: It means a person who picks on you or is mean to you all the time for no reason. Where did you hear that word?
Em: Nowhere.
Me: But who said it to you?
Em: No-one!
Me: But why did you ask what it meant? You must have heard it somewhere.
Em: Well, my brother... Well, when my family was all died, and I was at my green house, a star came along to me and said "bully". A star said it to me and that's where I heard it.

Silly me for asking..!

Dreaming of a chocolate Christmas...

Ember is slightly obsessed with her (cheap and nasty, New World) chocolate advent calendar and the first thing she has to do each morning is open the window and eat the chocolate. This morning, she had barely opened her eyes when she shouted out:

Em: Mum! Is it the three day of Embercember?!
Me: yep! (Close enough)

Sunday, December 2, 2012

The makings of a great politician

Down at the park today, as she has for the last week or so, Ember wanted to be pushed on the swings for a little while, but then took over on her own, showing off her new skills at swinging herself.  She's finally mastered the rhythm of leaning back and forward, and bringing her legs out and in all at the right time, and she is very proud of herself.  As she went higher and higher today, she called out:

Em: Look Mummy!  Look at me!  I'm doing it all by my own!
Me: Yeah, that's great! You're going really high too.
Em: Are you so proud of me?
Me: Yes, I am.
Em: Why?
Me: Because you learned a new skill.  That's really clever.
Em: And now I don't need my Mummy and Daddy any more?
Me: Well, maybe for some things.
Em: Why?
Me: Like making your dinner.  And driving you to preschool. You might still need us for those things, huh?
Em: Well, but that's not my department!

-------------------------------------

Speaking of learning new "skills", yesterday morning we went into town with Poppa John and Nana, in Poppa J's car.  PJ is not very fond of traffic, and he... expressed his annoyance with the frequency of the red traffic lights.  That afternoon, Miss Em and I were in my car when I had to stop at some traffic lights.  A little voice pipes up from the back:

Em: Oh, f*ckin' sake!
Me: Did you just say 'oh, for goodness sake'?
Em: Yeah, coz the lights are red and that's so annoying and cross.