More Mara-Speak

You know how cartoons always involve classical music? Well, I had a CD playing, when Mara gasped and announced, “This is Ratatouille!”

“Actually, it’s another Beethoven cello sonata. Can you say ‘cello’?” I asked her.

But she shook her head: “I can’t–I’m eating my dinner. I can’t talk when I’m eating my dinner.”

Wow, that’s never stopped you before.

———

Mara recounting our weekend retreat:

“But first we went to Mickle-donalds,” she explained. “There are two Mickle-donalds. [She knows about one in the city, and she knows we stopped at a different McDonalds on the way to the mountains.] And they have drinks and stuff,” she added. “And ice cream . . .”

“And chicken and ranch,” I threw in, since she always calls it ‘chicken and ranch’ at home.

“It’s called ‘chicken nuggets,'” she corrected me.

“Yes, Mara, chicken nuggets.”

———-

Mara, introducing our family to someone she meets at church: “I’m Mara . . . This is my mommy, Becky. Becky,” she repeated, as if the person might not pronounce it properly. “And this is Micah . . . And this is my husband–Daddy!”

———

Mara looking at a bell-shaped cookie cutter: “Oh, look, Mommy, the Liber-ree Bell! We went to the Liber-ree Bell with Aunt Mary!”  (I didn’t think she would remember.)

———

Hearing Micah’s cries after another unreasonably short nap, I said, “Oh my goodness, tell me he’s not up yet!”

And Mara obliged. “He’s not up yet,” she said to me.

Then calling to Micah’s room, she shouted, “Micah!–you’re not up yet!”

I only wish it were that simple.