"Can I show you how to be a Mother?"

Kids say the darnedest things. ALL kids say the funniest things sometimes, so anyone is likely to have experienced a kids-say-the-darnedest-things moment. When it's your own kid saying the darnedest things of course it's funnier than any other kid saying something funny, because you know the background, you know where it's coming from.

A couple days ago Ailey asked "Can I show you how to be a mother?" At this point I might have thought "Hey wait! Aren't I doing an alright job on my own?" or "What, are you going to "show" me that a mother lets her kid watch TV/stay up late/eat candy all day?" or "Are you going to imitate something rediculous that I do?" But no, my first thought was "Which Clifford episode will this be from?!"

Clifford the Big Red Dog is Ailey's favorite cartoon, and if not for my own sanity and wanting to hear something other than "Do do do, Clif-ford need-ed Em-i-ly, so she chose him for her own, do do do" she would watch it every day. I really like it too though. It's a good cartoon for a 3 year old, and I love hearing John Ritter as Clifford. But almost everything that comes out of Ailey's mouth that at first doesn't make sense comes from certain Clifford episodes that she watches over and over and over....

When I told Ailey to go ahead and show me "how to be a mother" she got up on her tip-toes and started walking around the room as if on heels. "See! I'm a Mother!" When I quit laughing I asked her where she had seen that, specifically which episode. She couldn't come up with where she got it. I'm still not sure if it was on Clifford or not, but I know it isn't me she's imitating. I don't wear heels or earrings often, something she also claimed to be a Mother-type quality.

Another darnedest-thing Ailey said recently is something I hope doesn't get repeated outside our house. It might just create some confusion. It also comes from Clifford, and if you know that then it doesn't seem so bad. Today was the first time I heard it, and I'm hoping the last! I heard Ailey say to my dad "I have a big itchy problem!" I can just see strangers hearing this one, furrowing their eyebrows or steering clear of our path. But of course, it's Clifford who had the big itchy problem.

A few days ago Ailey spent most of her day reciting a line from a recent Clifford episode. It was one of those two-person hand clapping games that Emily Elizabeth had learned at school and was teaching to Clifford, except that half-way through the rhyme Emily and Clifford were interupted. Therefore, so was Ailey. It went like this:

"I went downtown to see Mary Brown
She gave me a nickel to buy me a pickle
The pickle was sour, I gave her a flower
The flower was red and this is what--
Birdie! She's in trouble! Do something Clifford! PLEASE!"

Ailey recited this at least 20 times that day. Always with a sing-song voice for the rhyme followed by the necessary urgency.

Again, at least I like the Clifford show. This is why there are age labels on movies and TV - kids remember everything.

In other news, Andy's knee continues to heal and Ailey doesn't even notice she's wearing a cast on her arm. Kids are amazing. Marin got her first tooth this week and both she and Silje are now mobile. Not crawling, but not far from it. Marin is pretty good at dragging herself anywhere she wants to go.