DAY TWO HUNDRED ELEVEN - are you lonely?

You would think I had learned my lesson by now – having barely missed eating rat poison just a couple weeks before. (The end of THAT story I discovered was that those pellets had been the insides of a maraca Chloe had been playing with and accidentally broken.) But, no! As I was coming up the stairs in my new house, I spied what looked to be a peanut half on the stairs. Without hesitation, as a good glutton will, I popped it into my mouth and took a good chomp. What had looked like a peanut didn’t get any further than my crunching down onto the wax of a bit of tan-colored crayon, but still – ugh!

While we’re on the topic of food, I was in Aldi the other day looking at bags of apples. I saw a kind of apple I had never heard of before:  Cox – 100% British. I asked a woman standing nearby if she had had any experience with them. (The other choices were granny smith, golden delicious, and gala. I rather DO like gala.) With a strong commitment she avowed that Cox apples were the best thing going – hands down! Much like a Braeburn, she said, with a firm, crisp texture – unlike her estimation of galas. Convinced me – got some. Very nice, I can tell you, but as they were a little more expensive, I think I can be very happy with my old galas. Happy – and always up, when it comes to food – for trying something new.

Was making me a pb & j (apricot) sandwich for lunch today, and Chloe said she’d like one, too. Took one bite and said, musingly, ‘mmm, tastes like pink and green together.’ (Couldn’t have put it better myself – my sentiments exactly!)

On another day I was throwing something together for tea (dinner), when that little waif came around and by the look in her eyes let me know that she also was hungry, hoping to get some for herself. Seeing as how it was more than a snack, with several warm items served up on a real plate and everything – as well as off-hours in the restaurant - I suggested we go there to sit and eat our little meal. As we were sitting there, chatting away amicably, out of the blue I thought my ears heard Chloe ask, ‘Are you lonely?’ Had her repeat that – several times – thinking it was SO odd for a little child to pose a question like that. First, it had been entirely out of context from our conversation, and secondly, it was such a penetrating, adult question to ask.

When I finally did determine that that WAS what she had said, I began answering her question in earnest, telling her that, ‘yes, I DID miss Charlotte, and that I soon would travel home to see her.’ [Another tidbit here – often times when Chloe sees me leaving, to go out and do some shopping, for instance, she asks if I’m going home now – meaning to my REAL home! You wonder what goes on in their little heads at that age.] She is aware of Charlotte, as I have shown her a picture – they are similar in age – and we have been trying to get a Skype going – with no success so far! It is SO cute because no matter how many times I tell her otherwise (in fact, I’ve finally given up!), she has it in her mind that Charlotte is MY child. Chloe's mom is also a ‘Charlotte,’ and she asks – almost daily – ‘do you think we can talk to Charlotte, your DAUGHTER?’ Unfortunately, this request usually comes in the middle of Charlotte, my granddaughter’s, night.

After I rambled on for a bit, trying to explain my brand of ‘am I lonely?’ – Chloe listening politely – she asked me again, ‘are you lonely?’ and this time added something about music. (There’s a setup to play CDs for ambiance in the restaurant.) It finally dawned on me what she was getting at. Can’t think of how to express succinctly what she was attempting to say, but it was something along the lines of ‘would you like to liven things up by listening to a little music while we’re eating our dinner here in the dining room?’ That’s really cute, isn’t it? Kids say the darndest things. (By the way if you think it’s hard to understand what a four-year old is saying sometimes – try adding a British accent, AND British terminology!)

Chloe, having discovered that I had moved into the house, every once in a while can’t keep herself from knocking on my door. One of these times she told me that after church on Sunday she was going to visit her dad – ‘and I’m NEVER coming back!’  I made a fuss over that, saying how could I get along without her: ‘well then, alright, give me a big hug goodbye.’ I was talking to her mom later at some point in the day, and she told me that Chloe had hesitated over going at all, as ‘Debbie would miss mr too much.’ She had been very concerned. Subsequently when the three of us happened to be in the same room together, I was telling her how Chloe had said that she was ‘never’ coming back, and Charlotte said, ‘but Chloe, what about me – wouldn’t you miss ME too much?!’

Have observed several children on leashes; cruel and unusual punishiment – thought that went out with the dinosaurs! (Tried to get a photo but they got away; didn’t want to follow along too closely - might be mistaken for a pedophile or something!)

Photos_

1- British variety 

2- the Chlo
3- added at a later date