bugaboo, mini, mr & me

All I Really Need to Know I Learned From Mickey Mouse Clubhouse

My son has become a walking public service announcement.

Today, for example, we were sitting in line at the DMV.  (What would possess you to take a three-year-old with you to the DMV, you ask?  Well, we all know I’m crazy.)  bug told me he wanted to go give them our money so we could leave.  I told him he needed to wait.  

bug: Why?

me: Because all these other people were here before us.  So they get to go first.

bug: Why?

me: Because it wouldn’t be fair if we went ahead of them, would it?

bug: No, mommy.  You mean to say we need to take turns.  It’s nice to take turns.

And because I’m not one to look a well-mannered gift-horse in the mouth, I simply nodded and agreed with him while the elderly couple behind us laughed.  Apparently, my son has scripted responses for every teaching situation.

It brought to mind several occasions in the past few weeks.

While driving in the car, we started up a ramp onto the highway:  “Not too fast, Mommy.  We don’t want to have an accident.” 

When I forgot to buckle him into the safety seat (Oh, come on.  There’re three safety seats across the back of my car, for crying out loud - how am I supposed to remember all that??  You know you’ve done it too):  “Mommy!  Buckle up for safety!”

And finally, to my astonishment, playing outside with K on the one gloriously warm day this week:  “Maybe we shouldn’t throw rocks.  Someone could get hurt.”

I had begun to detect something sinister.  Something heinous.  Someone had kidnapped my child’s inner-workings and was holding him hostage.  It was a classic case of the body-snatchers... 

Until tonight.  Tonight, mini was sick.  She’s been sick the past two days.  Snuffling, coughing, sneezing, stuffed up, runny, sick.  She’s miserable, and she doesn’t mind letting us know.  When mr finally took her up to bed early, bug asked me if she was still sick.  I replied that she was very sick and that made her really sad.

bug: why?

me:  Because no one likes to be sick.

bug:  But what she sick for?

me:  Well.  Sometimes people just get sick.

bug:  Yes.  That’s why we wash the germs off our hands.  Like Mickey Mouse.

me:  Um... 

I’ll admit, he lost me for a moment.

And then it clicked.   A brilliant glowing lightbulb flickering to life.  

Perhaps we’ve been spending more time than usual on morning cartoons.  Perhaps we need to turn the TV off.

Then again, if Mickey can make my child behave like no one else can... maybe not.

he also started reading our National Geographic.  He is his father's son.

*Be sure to check just below for all the fun parties I link to!