Lola often likes to make up and act out stories for my benefit. The stories are generally about fairies falling in love and stalking each other and then getting married (I worry a little about Lola's future love objects).
Last night, though, Lola had a darker tale to tell, which came spewing out as soon as Iris was ushered off to bed (unjust as it may seem, the younger child has a later bedtime. The older child must leave at 7:45 AM to arrive at second grade on time, whereas the younger one doesn't have to be at pre-k until 12:30 PM. When Iris herself was in pre-k, she traditionally stayed up until eleven most nights, which scandalized other parents. Lola is put to bed at the more modest hour of ten, as her mother has aged significantly over the past three years). Earlier in the evening Iris and Lola had fought over whether Lola was permitted to quit their paper doll game ("Lucy! YOU HAVE TO PLAY WITH ME!! Lucy!! You know all those nice things I do for you? Well, I'M NEVER DOING THEM AGAIN!" I could not help bursting into laughter at that point which no doubt earned me a spot on Iris's enemy list).
Clearly that recent conflict was on Lola's mind as, standing on the foot of the queen-sized bed, she began her narrative. "Once there was a fairy. She had fairy parents and a MEAN, EVIL, BIG SISTER FAIRY. But the big sister died. They were all very happy! Any questions?"
"How did the sister die?"
"She got very old." Lola paused to reflect. "No, she got murdered! She died!" Lola bounced happily on the bed.
"How was the big sister evil?"
"When the big sister was born, the first words she said were, 'You will all die! I will kill you all!' They looked at her personal area, you know, where she pees, and they saw she was a girl. They named her 'Servant' because she was evil." Lola bounced more. To bring the point on home, Lola added the details that the evil fairy was three years older than the heroine fairy and the good fairy was born on October 1st, surprise surprise! The same day Lola was born! After the evil big sister was murdered, the good fairy and her parents were so happy, they just danced and danced.
Before Lola could bring her story to its traditional denouement, the marriage of the good fairy, the Sober Husband intruded and required Lola to adjourn for toothbrushing.
18 comments:
Your kids really scare the crap out of me sometimes.
i'm scared because if i was a little 5 year old girl i would be just like this.
H, she'd make Ox tail soup out a ya
mmmmmmm...soup.
before i'm murdered and everyone dances around my grave.
hide the knives...
They often scare me as well.
Unfortunately, she reminds me a little bit of me. I once hid tacks in my brother's carpet and hoped he would step on one, get sepsis, and die.
He did step on one, and I was grounded for an interminable period of time that seemed to be about 10 years.
I actually have come to the conclusion now that children are born violent, and have to be socialized otherwise.
Hey C, are you going to the Ranch party this Friday?
mmmm,... ranch dressing.
I second Trouble's belief about inborn violence.
My daughters are now at a point where they will use dolls, toy animals, and such to make up stories. I love watching them when they don't thin anyone is paying attention. I find it fascinating to see what kinds of situations they dream up. You realize that they are more aware of things in life than you might have imagined.
--
2amsomewhere
I'm pretty sure that was me at her age!!!! Scary thought now.
I'm pretty sure I'd want to be Lola's friend if I were her age. She's a badass.
What's truly amazing about Lola is that she is a pretty, demure, charming little girl who loves the color pink and princesses and fairies and ponies... but she has such a dark side to her.
A., I'm not gonna make it to the Ranch because (a) I'm too much of a homebody of late to go to the effort of obtaining a babysitter, plus (b) my husband's mother will be in town, sigh, so he wouldn't wanna go out anyhow without her, and (c) I'm too much of a vegetarian to go to a pork-themed party. It would just get my vegetarian hackles up, and I'd be in a rage in no time. So instead I'll be at home, sewing, in a rage (I'm always in a rage when my MIL is in town). Sadly I see no viable prospect for the evening in which I am not in a rage of some sort.
I used to be sweet and demure, too, once upon a time.
I have to suggest drinking heavily. It always helps me get through social events with the ex-husband without homicide.
In re: your comment on mine:
Yeah--yours is the worst of the internet in some ways: a parent who blogs most consistently about her cats and her kids!
But I love it anyway. You're a great story-teller and Lola and Iris are really unique kids. It's all about the delivery: the real redemption is the underlying irony and darkness. It's as if someone with your (dare I say, our?) temperament is consistently struck by the beauty of her children and the plight of these little kittens.
If it was schmaltz, I wouldn't keep coming back. In re: Petrie. He's a friend, his daughter is my new girlfriend, and he's a pretty good writer, so I'm up for plugging him.
For someone with an avowed distaste for parent-blogs, I'm linking them at a pretty high percentage...
Spiderwick Chronicles!
It comes out today and will be my Valentine's evening event. (Yes, I know. But this is what I wanted.)
If it's no good, I'll tell you. But it looks like it should be good. Plus, it has fairies of all sorts and the hero's sister appears to fence. So the girls might like it even if it's no good for adults.
DH: gee, I'm sorry (about the MIL). I don't know whether I'm going to the ranch or not.
I'll write you on gmail, I'm sortof commenting to test my new profile settings (thanks for the indulgence).
Oh the Irony!
But Lucy should be thankful that I didn't hear her!
Post a Comment