December 27, 2005
smooshed by cuteness
My brother has one child, a daughter, who is almost two and a half. She is, undeniably, the cutest two-year-old we know just now, and not only because she shares some of my DNA. Yesterday she was in particularly fine form.
In the afternoon, we rallied all the children (big and small) to go play at the park. My sons, of course, resisted to the end, because GOD FORBID they leave whatever might be going on at Nana and Papa’s house to play outside. My dad had spent the day reminding me that if Henry wanted to swim again, he would take him, even though the pool at the hotel (have I mentioned that my parents, who LIVE HERE and have a house that could rival any bed and breakfast in the Albuquerque area, are staying in a hotel while the rest of us completely trash their house and drink their liquor? How lovely is that?)–my dad kept saying that he would be happy!! to take Henry swimming again, even though the hotel pool was filled with ice water. So when Henry refused to go to the park, I said, ‘Hey! How about you and Papa go swimming?’ and he said, ‘Great!’ and ran into the living room to announce, in his best Outdoor Voice, ‘Papa, will you take me SWIMMING?’ And then Charlie, who was cold and miserable the ENTIRE TIME they were at the pool yesterday, started to cry and said, ‘I want to go WITH HENRY!’ and insisted that he would swim, too, and that it would be FUN. So I packed my kids and my dad in the car, muttering under my breath, and we all went off to the hotel pool.
(Please note: I had NO INTENTION of getting in the pool. I didn’t even take a swimsuit with me. Swimming in December is not in my job description. Just so you know.)
We get to the hotel, and Henry and my dad are getting changed to swim, and Charlie says, ‘I changed my mind. I don’t want to swim.’
I took five big yoga breaths and said, ‘So what are you going to do?’
‘I’m going to play with YOU!’ he announces.
‘Well,’ I say, ‘I would like to go to the park and play with Tess.’
‘Really?’ he says. ‘I had no idea.’
Damn that kid. (My dad looked at me and said, ‘Is he kidding?’)
So we go back to the park, leaving my dad and Henry to swim, and when we get to the playground my brother says, ‘Tess, do you want to ask Aunt Susan something?’
And god bless her, she says, ‘Aunt Susan, do you need a cocktail?’
Last night after dinner we had her singing songs, because the whole point of having kids is to provided family entertainment, and John got her started on a song about a bumblebee. ‘I’m holding my baby bumblebee/Won’t my mommy be so proud of me?’ Very cute. Then there’s the bit about how the bumblebee stings the singer, and then this: ‘I’m smooshing my baby bumblebee/Won’t my mommy be so proud of me’ which was accompanied by the appropriate smooshing hand gestures. And the more we laughed, the more she smooshed and sang, and despite the fact that the song was all about killing an innocent bee, my god it was the cutest thing ever! Since the kids went to bed, we have compelled my sister-in-law to sing the song probably ten more times. There is also a verse about wiping the smooshed bee guts off on your pants–how fun! I will be singing this song every day.
This morning Tess and Charlie had a tea party, complete with fancy hats borrrowed from my mother’s coat closet. Tess had a straw garden hat and Charlie had a cowboy hat; they served tea and crumpets to their stuffed buddies for a while and then decided to be cowboys, waving their tea cups in the air and yelling, ‘Yee-ha!’ And the cuteness nearly killed me.
Posted by Susan @ 9:24 am • Uncategorized
RSS feed for comments on this post.
TrackBack URI
December 27th, 2005 at 12:06 pm, Jenorama Says:
awesome. I want a two-year-old to ask me if I need a cocktail, especially since I have given up cigarettes for diet coke and running.
December 27th, 2005 at 3:46 pm, jar Says:
I teach my two year old class the Bumblebee Song and we love it. They have yet to ask me if I need a cocktail though! That is cute.
December 27th, 2005 at 4:10 pm, adria Says:
Your niece is brilliant! Please tell me your brother had a cocktail waiting for you at home??
December 27th, 2005 at 5:24 pm, MJ Says:
I’ve just come back from my family Christmas (which involved no cocktails but lots of wine) and wanted to say I’ve really enjoyed reading the last couple days of your life…which is remarkably similar to mine…except for the pool since I live in a northern country.
But back to the cocktails. Do you know about Franklin the turtle? There is this story about his favourite part of the neighbourhood. Sadly, my daughter said her favourite part of her neighbourhood was the wine store. Out of the mouths of babes.
December 27th, 2005 at 5:42 pm, Susan Says:
MJ, that’s hilarious! And my boys are forever asking when they will be old enough to go to the Beer Store with Daddy.
We just want them to be able to go to the beer store FOR Daddy.
December 27th, 2005 at 7:46 pm, ieatcrayonz Says:
Smooshing the bumblbee is the humane thing to do. Better to die now than later on in the day.
So far, I’ve taught Lauren to say, “Mama! Cocktay!”
December 27th, 2005 at 8:13 pm, Laura Says:
Ooh - do you know the Tommy the Turtle song, and the Shark cong? Classics, I tell you. Glad you had a fun time.
December 28th, 2005 at 5:11 am, Mary P. Says:
Ah, camp songs. A respected genre. In our version, the baby bumblebee, after being smooshed, gets licked off the hands and then barfed up before being washed away. So sweet.
Older kids - Henry would probably looove this one - enjoy “Great green gobs of greasy, grimey gopher-guts”. Yum, yum, yummy…
December 28th, 2005 at 3:06 pm, Metrodad Says:
Oh man, just HEARING about all the cuteness is killing me. Nothing like having a bunch of kids around for the holidays. Sounds fun (as long as Tess gets you that much-needed cocktail.)
Happy holidays!
December 28th, 2005 at 9:04 pm, Andie D. Says:
Two year olds can be the cutest things in the WORLD! They are still so innocent, full of wonder, and will believe anything you tell them.
Now. About the cocktails. Make sure to give the little cutie this fantastic board book, “Baby, Mix Me a Drink” and soon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1932416455/qid=1135750026/sr=8-1/ref=pd_bbs_1/103-1010302-2347800?n=507846&s=books&v=glance
December 28th, 2005 at 9:20 pm, Mary Tsao Says:
Cocktails were definitely missing when I sang camp songs the first time around. But I love that bumblee song! So cute in a horrific kind of way…
December 29th, 2005 at 5:55 am, the ockers Says:
Yes, I know what you mean about 2 year old girls being cute. My daughter N is 29 mths and plays the cute card with such ease and attitude that I worry about what she will grow into (as a teenager). I just posted some pics if you want visual evidence of what I’m talking about Susan. anyway, just dropping by to wish you a wonderful and happiness fulled New Year. I’m off the radar for the next 5 days to a beach house without a phone, TV or computer OUCH (it’s soo hot here, typical Aussie summer & we’re doing the typical aussie sand, surf & bbq’s thingy for a few days). SO happy 2006 and hope it much, much better than 2005. xClare
December 29th, 2005 at 8:36 am, Kristen Says:
I sang the bumblebee song as a little kid. What memories!
December 29th, 2005 at 10:19 am, Nothing But Bonfires Says:
Do you think she’d MAKE the cocktail too? You know what to get her next Christmas: a stainless steel shaker and The Big Book Of Two Hundred Martinis.
(I think I just made that book up. If it exists, it will be going on my wish list. If not, I WILL WRITE IT.)
December 29th, 2005 at 11:51 am, Suburban Turmoil Says:
I love it!
December 29th, 2005 at 12:35 pm, Susan Says:
Holly, please PLEASE write the martini book. I was all ready to go searching for it on Amazon . . .