AS I may have mentioned, it was my birthday this week and my special day started with grumpy toddler wandering into my bedroom demanding a drink.
I ignored his demand, countering it with a cheery "Good morning!" and told him it was my birthday. DH prompted him to say happy birthday and he gave me a lovely slobbery kiss, complete with showbiz "mwah" noises. He then wiped his mouth with the back of his hand!
I asked him; "How old do you think mummy is now?" expecting the usual toddler answer of "6" or "100". Instead my solemn little weirdo looked me up and down and quite sensibly said;"Older than you were."
Well yes, you can't really argue with that can you?
I often think my four year old is actually a wizened old man in pre-schooler form.
I was on one occasion in a car with my two friends, Jane and Claire. Strapped into their seats in the back were Grumpy and Jane's daughter who is just about two years younger than him.
At this point she was still a baby and Grumpy was about three. Claire was happily echoing back the baby's gurgles and squeals to entertain her- y'know as we all do. Grumpy listened to her intently and after a while stared hard, Paddington Bear-style, at Claire and asked in an exasperated tone;"What's wrong with you?"
And only a few weeks ago I found my 17-year-old and Grumpy watching a subtitled Japanese cartoon on TV. I sat down and watched with them for a while but was very confused by the plot which seemed over-complicated and surreal with talking fireballs and scarecrows flying and turning into Princes.
I remarked that I was finding it hard to follow the plot and wondered how Grumpy was managing to stay so absorbed taking into account the fact that he obviously couldn't read the subtitles!
Grumpy casually answered with;"Yeah, it's really hard 'cause it's in Spanish."
I didn't even know he knew there was a language called Spanish! Maybe he has watched Dora but to be fair he's more into Adventure Time and Chowder than programmes aimed at his age group.
That's the joy of kids though isn't it? You give birth to them, raise them and influence them but at the end of the day they are individuals with their own little quirks. And believe me, they don't come much quirkier than Grumpy!
I ignored his demand, countering it with a cheery "Good morning!" and told him it was my birthday. DH prompted him to say happy birthday and he gave me a lovely slobbery kiss, complete with showbiz "mwah" noises. He then wiped his mouth with the back of his hand!
 |
| giving himself a round of applause for finishing his puzzle. |
Well yes, you can't really argue with that can you?
I often think my four year old is actually a wizened old man in pre-schooler form.
I was on one occasion in a car with my two friends, Jane and Claire. Strapped into their seats in the back were Grumpy and Jane's daughter who is just about two years younger than him.
At this point she was still a baby and Grumpy was about three. Claire was happily echoing back the baby's gurgles and squeals to entertain her- y'know as we all do. Grumpy listened to her intently and after a while stared hard, Paddington Bear-style, at Claire and asked in an exasperated tone;"What's wrong with you?"
 |
| looks almost normal when he's napping. |
I remarked that I was finding it hard to follow the plot and wondered how Grumpy was managing to stay so absorbed taking into account the fact that he obviously couldn't read the subtitles!
Grumpy casually answered with;"Yeah, it's really hard 'cause it's in Spanish."
I didn't even know he knew there was a language called Spanish! Maybe he has watched Dora but to be fair he's more into Adventure Time and Chowder than programmes aimed at his age group.
That's the joy of kids though isn't it? You give birth to them, raise them and influence them but at the end of the day they are individuals with their own little quirks. And believe me, they don't come much quirkier than Grumpy!