Thursday, October 23, 2008

Snap: "Mami...?"



On Tara's long days at nursery (8am to 3pm, twice per week), I always feel a little guilty for sending her away for so long. After all, I've not (yet) got a job to justify the long hours, and going to the gym and for a coffee in town doesn't really constitute an excuse either, however much of a good (enough) reason it may be.
But today on the way home she looked up from her pushchair while munching on some 'flamango' (dried mango), and told me:
"Mamiiii...? Kinnergarten schööön. Kara spielen mit Tina. Und mit Isobelle. Und mit Honey." (Mummy, nursery lovely. Tara play with Tina. And with Isobelle, and with Honey.)
And she turned back contentedly, munched on, and eventually conked out from the effort of having so much fun at nursery for seven hours. (Seven hours, Oh. My. God. Major maternal GUILT flash!!!)
I was so touched (and relieved!), just like when she occasionally and unexpectedly praises me for whatever, "Mami, gut 'emacht." (Mummy well done.)
What joy having a walking talking daughter, even though it means she talks back on occasion ('on occasion' read 'daily, many times')...

21 comments:

Mommy, Papa and the 'Nuts said...

Alex, do NOT post things like this to make me cry. Seriously I have puffy red eyes.
My poor dear lovely 'nut son has spent hours and hours in front of TV since the birth of his little 'nut sister. DO NOT feel guilty for Miss Tara getting to PLAY for hours and hours as she obviously enjoys it very much.
As much as we enjoy 'Charlie and Lola" I'd much rather Lorenzo could play for those morning hours while I get ready/shower(HA!)/clean up/feed girl baby/pee or poo (ALONE!) with an ACTUAL Charlie and Lola, not of said cartoon variety.
Maternal guilt, yep, I belong to that club too.

Mommy, Papa and the 'Nuts said...

p.s. Oh, and she looks so cute with red bow in sea of fluffy fur! We're STILL in t-shirts even though Nirit insists on staging cold-weather photos.
I've outed you NIRIT! HA!

Now, off to pretend like we've been sledding!

Nirit, Thiemo, Lia and Ben said...

Oh you two, get a grip, let's meet, give kids away for 10 hours, and have a nice steamin' hot coffee. How about tomorrow, 11 am, in Madrid?

(Someone should invent conference blogging.)

Alexandra said...

Yes yes, That Evil TV, we have that too. Cause she likes to come back from nursery and, if I can't know her into sleep, watch her DVDs over and over again. It's a whole different guilt trip, but we're riding it too. And rest assured, Charlie & Lola are much better fun that Noddy and his obnoxious toyland lot! Noddy is Tara's new love, you see...

Nirit, Thiemo, Lia and Ben said...

I think the sweat pearls on our kids' foreheads gave us away anyway. So much for 'fall-ish' pumpkin patch pics.
But you're still a traitor!
Let's plot something new!

Alexandra said...

Madrid? Like, where it's warm? I'm all for it. Though there's nothing wrong with a nice long (sponsored and funded) shopping day out in Kensington, London, UK. Or Covent Garden. Or let's just tour the lovely restaurants of Tel Aviv, for that matter, and for some lovely fresh nourishing salad. Ah... I could go on...

Nirit, Thiemo, Lia and Ben said...

Hellooo? Anyone else boarding that plane to Spain tomorrow morning?? Or what?!

Alexandra said...

Plastic snow. And pose and yetis for halloween?

Nirit, Thiemo, Lia and Ben said...

Oh, ok, Tel Aviv it is.
I prefer pretending that it's cold to actual coldNESS. And I promised Brandy a pool photoshoot in Israel. I think we are wrinkly enough, Brandy, and can make it to that J Jill wall of fame.

Alexandra said...

No talking of inside stuff on my blog! Discuss wrinkly J Jill walls on other blogs!

Nirit, Thiemo, Lia and Ben said...

Lol. You're right.
Comments only along the lines of "narrative-oh-so-cute" sentences. Wait! That's an insider too! But among wrinkly Alex and Nirite. Ok, I'm leaving this conversation to take a nice hot shower of wrinkly self.

Mommy, Papa and the 'Nuts said...

Hello. Umm, I left for five minutes to offer left boobie to almost-awake baby and I return to FULL conversation. 11 COMMENTS?!

I think someone needs to invent not only blog-conferencing but an alarm saying that people are blog-conversation-ing without you!

Umm, spain Tel Aviv, pool, shopping
(funded) all of the above. I'm totally in.

I think we may have been all separated at birth, or at least separated...uh, now. Totally into regrouping with or without little ones asap. Fake winter or not. Must set a date. And place. For real.

Alexandra said...

Me? Wrinkly? Are you out of your mind? I'm decidedly not wrinkly! Ask Tara. She'll tell you. Anything I tell her. Yesterday I send her round the house chanting "Ich bin süß, ich bin süß, ich bin süß!" When she wakes up you'll have her on the phone chanting "Mami ist nich faltig". Or "Are you mad?" I'm not quite decided yet! Have a COLD shower, it might help!

Mommy, Papa and the 'Nuts said...

p.s. F*** Noddy. I hate him.
(Don't tell Tara I said so...I don't need anything else to feel guilty about.)

Alexandra said...

Brandy, on MY budget. My budget = nill. Which just about includes the trainfare to London, off peak. You make your way, and I buy the first round of foamy lattes!

Mommy, Papa and the 'Nuts said...

That's why God created Credit Cards!
Although, why he created a husband to tell me "NO" is beyond me...

London it is!

Alexandra said...

"Ha ha" (on behalf of poolboy tony)
Background, quote Tara: "Mami, Noddy an please. Noddy geht mit den Gobbelins. Maamaaa. Please. Noddy an please?"

Nirit, Thiemo, Lia and Ben said...

Noddy? Should my child watch more TV? Or is he running as a candidate? Hmmh. Out of shower. Completely de-wrinkled. Love my shower gel. Or was it the steam that made my skin all puffy?? No, I didn't take a shower with hot plastic surgeon. Mind you.
Or do they come with credit cards? I think I'm day dreaming!

Mommy, Papa and the 'Nuts said...

Noddy is like watching your nightmare on TV.
Don't let Lia watch. He'll suck her in too...

Alexandra said...

He will. She'll be saying "Mommy Noddy PLEAAASE" before she can even manage a "Mommy gut'emacht". Stay clear until you have her safe from obnoxious Noddy and his nauseating human entourage in Germany.

Scott & Yael said...

Hi, I hope it's ok with you that I'm commenting here. I've been following your blog since Nirit got me into this thing. Don't feel guilty. I felt guilty for the longest time after Liam started day-care, but he LOVES it so much! And it's so good for them developmentally that I no longer feel the guilt. And he now goes every day because otherwise he gets bored with me (no matter how many activities I do with him). It is so good for them to be around other kids their age.
And on another note, I am in Tel-Aviv and it has been cold and rainy for the past 3 days so you might want to go the Madrid route after all... Yael