Kosmopolita + Meander: "A child is a curly dimpled lunatic" (Ralph Waldo Emerson)

Saturday, December 6

"A child is a curly dimpled lunatic" (Ralph Waldo Emerson)

It's true that a 4 year old's mind is on fire 24/7. You have to be quick on the draw to keep up with the stuff that comes out of their mouths. They will catch you out!

A few choice examples:

I caught Tallu chewing a piece of gum the other day, which she must have scavenged from the bottom of my bag. I shot her a look but quick as a whip she said, "Look at it this way mother, it's good exercise for my teeth." (PS. I am sometimes called mother thanks to The Sound of Music, but not because I'm at all nun-like I suppose)

On the bus T was looking out the window. "Mommy, I just saw a lady riding a motorcycle by herself". "Ok..." I said, half-listening. To which she replied, "No, what you should have said was 'You go girl!"

Nuns, being a rarity in the States, seem to have captivated Tallu's attention lately, coinciding with her fondness for The Sound of Music. In Rome she noticed that the same nun would pass by our hotel every morning and T would say, "Look, she's going to work for God!" We've gone in quite a few churches and cathedrals to see the architecture and frescoes and she is always disappointed not to see any nuns in action. This morning I asked if she wanted to be a nun. Response: "No thank you, I like to play not pray!"

Serving me a pretend ice-cream the other day (while smoking a pretend Gauloise I daresay!) I asked her how much? ... "Well that depends...will you be paying in dollars or euros?"

What a little bad-ass! Sasha is a dumpling - the only words out of her mouth are dinner, cookie, apple and banana. The mere hint of a biscuit sends her arms flapping so much you think she'll take flight. Ok, sorry for being that mother who reports her kids' every utterance - but I can't swear it'll be the last time.

Nice is wearing thin. Not that I'm complaining. It's just as valuable sometimes to be in a place you know you never want to return to. I spent 2 weeks here alone with the girls and it felt like I was shipwrecked. Very uninspiring place on the whole. But Tallu made it into the local newspaper - the Nice Matin, posing with the owner of a local bookstore. At first she flat refused (being the daughter of a photographer can backfire I guess), but with stage-mama moi pinching her little neck and promising a lollipop, she eventually agreed to the photo op. The publicity machine can be really draining for the poor noodle.

With Soulmate/Superdad back from the edge of the earth we decided a trip to Marrakech was in order. Ever since our honeymoon I've been itching to go back. Can anyone say...hammammmmmmmmm...

Then it's pretty much time to head home - back to NYC to celebrate the holidays - with a quick pit-stop in Paris to meet the Thomson Twins. Not the acid-wash 80's Brit pop group, but our dear friends Derek & Raina's new arrivals, Alice and Estelle Thomson!

After that it's off to GUATEMALA baby!!!

// posted by Kosmopolita+Meander @ 14:41