This morning before breakfast my three-year-old asked (in earnest) for a monkey.  I mean, why not?  Anything else she needs she just asks for an voila! it appears, right?

 

She added specifics to this request less I fail to get it right:  NOT a Little People monkey!  NOT a backpack monkey!  A REAL ALIVE monkey; one that climbs all over me!  “Like this!”  And just like that I’m being enlightened about how a real monkey would climb all over a small child.

 

Then she specified that she would like to eat “strawberries, muffins, broccoli, and salad” and I was able to procure a small win and present some strawberries 🙂

 

After breakfast, she demanded a rocket ship.  A REAL rocket ship.  You know, “like. Daniel. Tiger.” she enunciates.  She’s clearly confused about Little Einsteins, Curious George, and Daniel Tiger being three separate television programs.  But since I figured a real rocket ship isn’t something I can deliver on right now either, I change the subject rather then delve into specifics.

 

(How much Netflix this child has been watching is not something I’m not prepared to go into detail about right now either 😉 )

 

When Muffin was a baby, I’d hold her when she was upset or reaching or crying for something and say, I’m so sorry, I wish I knew what you wanted!  My dream came true; now, I know.  exactly.  My child was probably reaching for rocket ships and monkeys.  Who knew?

 

Then it was ballet classes, like Nori.  With prancing and posing in front of the playroom mirror in a tutu costume and well-worn ballet slippers.

 

And all day yesterday it was Princess Panties.  Well, more of them.  No matter that she’s not potty trained despite an early and promising start (and the pediatrician has diagnosed her as “not willing” and suggested we stop our efforts for awhile).

 

No matter that all her Princess Panties are in the wash.

 

Or that it makes no sense how she can articulate exactly why she doesn’t use the potty: doesn’t “want to” or “like too” is too “tired,” “too busy” or simply “can’t.”

 

>shoulder shrug<

 

That’s reasonable though.  I mean, seriously, the girl’s got bigger things on her mind . . . including real live monkeys.

 

And rocket ships.

 

-RM