Opportunism

Mabel is totally kicking my ass on bedtime lately. For the past two nights she's been awake till ten or close to it, coming back downstairs for a drink, or a snack, or another toy, or to tell Daddy something that can't wait till morning. Often when she's not too tired, I can leave her to play in her room until she's ready to sleep, when she calls me to go back and nurse her down. Not so much these nights. She wants to be in the company of parents, preferably right on our laps typing her name on our keyboards, until the cows come home. (When the cows might finally come home is anyone's guess. These are not well-bred cows coming in to be milked at 6.30. These are feral cows, nocturnal cows, off rootling in the forest and discoursing at length till the early hours. They are probably cows who enjoy knocking back hard liquor and playing poker.)

Monkey did ask me this morning, when I was discussing Mabel's night, if I thought she might be nocturnal. Oh, those five-year-olds and the things they learn from the TV.

Did I tell you about the time on the aeroplane when, as I settled Mabel into her straps, she asked me "Mummy, why do orang-utans have 'pposable fumbs?" I wanted to turn to the admiring audience of fellow travellers and announce, "Ladies and gentlemen, my two-year-old!" but alas, nobody had heard her.

I digress. Lack of sleep will do that to you.

Anyway. Last night, to give myself a break for five minutes, I told Mabel that this time Daddy was taking her back upstairs. Then I listened to the baby monitor as a most entertaining dialogue took place upstairs...

Mabel (clearly stalling, telling Daddy something hilarious at the top of her voice): That doesn't make sense!
B (seeing an opening and going for it): Mabel, can you say "Chewbacca is a Wookiee"?*
Mabel: Toobacka is a wookiee? That doesn't make sense!
Me, downstairs: [Suitably amused.]

Then, tiring of his trifling games, she sent him back down to get me again.

*This, in case you're confused, is a piece of South Park dialogue that has somehow made it to meme status among nerds (and lovely people like my husband, too). The Wikipedia link there explains it much better than I can. (I may be using the word "meme" wrongly there. I'm sure I'll be told about it soon enough.)