Can You Speak Rama?

Ano ang kilay sa English?

Rama: EYE-BROWN!

Pickles!

Rama's current interjection of choice happens to be "Pickles." Make a mistake coloring, she says "Aww, pickles." Or, I coax her out of the tub, it's "Aww, pickles!"

I suspect it's from one of the morning cartoons. Could've been from Monster Allergy or Hickey Town Hero. (Betcha didn't know there was a hero - or town - named such!)

The first time I heard Pickles, I had to ask, "Ano 'yun?" Rama explains, "Pickles? Parang aww mehnnn..."

Only Child

Neighbor's Kid: Rama, wala ka bang kapatid?
Rama to Adult: Akala ba niya, lahat ng tao may kapatid?

Question for God

One of Rama' current sources of fascination is a carnapper's sketch posted on the guard house of Honey's village. Whenever we pass it and stop for the usual security check, she sits up and looks intently at the sketch. We've handled a slew of questions about the carnapper, i.e., 'Asan na siya ngayon? Bakit siya nagnakaw? Mahahanap ba siya? Pupunta ba siya sa bahay ko? Babalik ba siya dito? etc.

Yesterday's question was a tough one: "Bakit ginawa ni God ang magnanakaw?"

Swim!

Rama recently joined a swim class. In the past sessions, there were other kids in the "Jammers" class and they would take turns going into the pool and paddling around and doing whatever coach asks them. While one swam solo, the rest of the class just sat on the steps or at the edge of the pool. But yesterday was different: all the other kids in class had gone. (They mostly signed up at the same time, and Rama came in the middle of the course.) So yesterday, she had Coach Julius all to herself. And they went at it for the full hour, it seems. I think Coach Julius overtrained her. After the session, Rama asks, "Pag matagal ba sa pool, talagang naninigas ang legs?"

What Do You Want To Be When You Grow Up?

Rama: I want to be a teacher.
Me: Teacher of big kids or little kids?
Rama: Little kids.
Me: So, ikaw magiging teacher ni Yuka? (Yuka is a playmate)
Rama: Ayoko, naughty siya.
Me: Pag teacher ka, hindi ka pwedeng pumili. Whoever is there.
Rama: Ayoko na maging teacher.
Me: Doctor?
Rama: Ayoko, baka mag-cry sa akin mga tao.

More discussion.

Socky: How about, singer?
Rama: Ayoko. Baka sabihin ng mga tao, bad singer. Bad singer! Bad singer!

A Day at the Farm

Rama's school organized a Family Day at Paradizoo, a farm/zoo in Tagaytay. They had ostriches, camels (!), bees, butterflies and the usual livestock - pigs, goats, chicken, cattle. They also had freaky animals, like a 5-legged cow ("Look, a special cow," the PC preshool teacher pointed out.) This after I yelped "Ay, abnoy!" I just kept my mouth shut when we got to the 5-legged boar. (Maybe it's the water?)

While waiting for the tour to start, Rama and the other kids decorated cookies. Rama was also tripping on makahiya. It took us forever to get to the exit; we had to stop and touch ALL the makahiya that we passed.

Pio was sorely missed.