Friday, August 5, 2011

Quips

There is something about my daughter that I am pretty sure isn't a result of genetics.  Her quips.

You see, CH cannot stand the idea of knowing there are titbits in the cabinets or the fridge and not consume them.  Although I try not to buy them, I cannot stop my husband from spoiling her - well, once in a while.

That day, my husband bought her a pack of chocolate, not realizing that she would consume them in one afternoon.  She got really sick and started wheezing badly the following day.  She hasn't had wheezing for some time, and amidst her tears of suffering, she told me she would listen to me next time.  She thought she was going to die from breathlessness, and I assured her she would be fine after her nebulizer treatment at the family clinic.

Immediately after the treatment, she was bouncing around.   My husband started teasing her by asking if she would like another ten packs of chocolates.  She replied, "爸爸, 你不要我了啊?“ (Papa, don't you want me anymore)




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CH likes to use 'order' when she means buy or get.  She sees her classmates being picked up from school by their maids, and she had asked me why their classmates wanted to order a maid.

Once, we were chatting over lunch and I was remarking casually, "You can use the vacuum, you can wipe the table, you love to wash the plates, and you love the washing machine - how about becoming our maid?"

She exclaimed in disbelief, "Why do you want to order a little maid?!"

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One afternoon, while trying to get CH to nap, she started asking me, "Mommy, why am I not a Jie Jie (elder sister)?  Why am I the youngest?"

I disagreed with her since she has a younger cousin now, so she IS a Jie Jie.

"No, I mean - why is LK my Jie Jie, and why am I not her Jie Jie?"  She rephrased her query.

"Oh, that's because Ah Yi (aunty) got married earlier than I did, so LK Jie Jie was born before you!  And there is nothing you can do about it!"  I tried to explain, wondering if she would understand anyway.  My younger sister's eldest daughter was born before I was even married.

CH got up from bed and exclaimed , "But mommy, you are older!  How could your Mei Mei (younger sister) get married before you did?" She sounded accusing, which made me want to laugh.  Before I could say anything, she continued with a change of tone.

"Ok, next time I am going to get married secretly!"  She decided, to my astonishment.

"Oh, please don't get married secretly!"  I replied in horror.

You see, I've always had this fear that she would elope with some guy one day because of her rebellious nature.  I wondered who was the more ignorant one, but to salvage a potentially detrimental consequence caused by an ignorant thought formed since the age of five was more important.

I started to paint her the beautiful picture of her looking like a real princess dressed in wedding gown and her handsome prince beside her, and all her loved ones, including papa and mama sharing her joy of marriage.  "You wouldn't want us to miss your big day, do you?"

"Oh yeah", she smiled at the thought.

The following day was Saturday and we met up with Sis as usual.  I was telling Sis about my exchange with my daughter when LK, who had been listening quietly to us, exclaimed in enlightenment, "Oh, no wonder the first thing CH said to me when she saw me just now was "LK Jie Jie, you don't get married first ok, you must wait for me har!""

Gosh, what's going on in that little mind of hers?

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