Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Acquisition

There are a lot of wild claims being made around our way at the moment.

Today, a man cycled past us in the park and Charlie said 'BIcycle!' all pleased with himself for knowing the word. I came over all dutiful Mummy of a sudden and said 'yes darling, the man is riding a bicycle isn't he?' at which point he ran after the poor bloke shouting 'STOP! STOP!!! MY bicycle, MINE!!! STOP!!' as if the poor chap was getting away with theft. Other fallacious claims of ownership have been made for buses, trees, the neighbours' car, aeroplanes and various other non-deliverable items. It's difficult as you can imagine, because toddlers aren't all that good at rejection and tend, for example, to lie down in puddles when they can't take a bus home with them.

Most of the above items are tangible and even somewhat desirable but we've had tantrums over less obvious items, my favourite being after he had a mighty and successful widdle in the loo; I pressed the flush and as everything spiralled into the bowels of the city he wept big tears of loss over 'MY wee-wee, MY wee-wee MINE!'

I'm glad he's dreaming big and impossible things and I hope he continues to do so. I'm just not putting my hand down the loo to retrieve any of them.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

I've been reading your blog for a while and that really made me laugh.

If only life were that simple! There are a number of things I'd like to point to and claim as mine, ranging from a very large glass of wine to George Clooney. I wonder if the toddler approach would work?

Jen said...

Too funny! Dylan isn't doing that, believe it or not! Probably because he is so rarely around other kids - he never has to share! I got him signed up for preschool in the fall, though, so "mine" might take on new meaning.

Lisa @ Boondock Ramblings said...

I should be skinny considering all the times Jonathan has pointed at something I'm eating and yelled "Mine! Mine! Mine!" repeating it over and over and over until I relinquish it lest he fall apart in a pile of tears.

Sparx said...

Mud - I wonder too! I'd quite like a week in a full-service spa but I doubt they'd accept that particular currency...

Jen - what, you mean Dylan and Charlie are actually NOT the same child? Freaky. Yes, he'll learn all about 'Mine' soon enough...

Jonny's Mommy - wow, that's good. Charlie never shows any real interest in food unless it's ice-cream!

Antonia Cornwell said...

Oh hel-lo! This all sounds familiar. Esme laid claim to Ian's knees a couple of weeks ago. I think that's the most ridiculous example so far.

The other issue in our house is sharing. If Esme wants something, she grasps it to her chest, frowns at us and says "Share it!" while walking off to a dark corner where she can hog it all to herself. I'm not sure how to put that one right.

Sparx said...

Antonia - ha! I get the big french finger from my boy if I won't share something... like the scissors, say, or a hatchet. He adopts the stance, waggles it at me and says 'No! Mine!' and glowers with his eyebrows around his chin... all very serious.

Michelle said...

Sparx, what a boy you have! I loved this post!

Lisa @ Boondock Ramblings said...

Sparx: Oh he doesn't eat it once he's got it, he just wants it. I seem to fight with him constantly to get him to eat anything very healthy. Tonight he ate Milano cookies with chocolate in the middle and a couple bites of pizza. This time he had an excuse..he couldn't breathe through his stuffed nose and eat at the same time.

Sparx said...

Michelle - thanks hon!

Jonny's Mommy - I am with you 100%... the spud's Dad just gave him cake for breakfast because 1) he is a Dad and 2) the spud wasn't eating his healthy stuff. Sigh.

Sue said...

LOL! So the Bhabbles is doing something only slightly different. He has a game where he asks, "Where is [X]?" and he answers, "Oh, there is [X]!" He's taken to going to new friends and accusingly asking them, "Where is the car/book/father/..." and some of them genuinely believe that they are being told to go acquire the car/book/father/...

Sparx said...

Sue - brilliant! That's how they learn to completely manipulate us!!!

Sparx said...
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