Buttonisms: Rich Boy Poor Boy & other Stories

Prologue: Button’s development as a 4 year old has been fascinating. Especially now that he is the older brother to little Twinkle. He has blossomed to being a court jester, an entertainer par excellence, however ONLY reserved for those closest to him. Otherwise, there is a Great Wall of Shyness around him, which hopefully will melt away as he gets older. In my endeavor to build some pensieves of Button’s wonderful repartees, I list some below. Smile away!

As a mom I sometimes take the easy way out and occasionally (read every alternate day!) threaten Button with withdrawal of privileges (his dearer-than-life McQueen dinky cars collection) as a consequence to unacceptable behavior. I warn him twice and then when he is ready to misbehave the third time my dialogue usually is “Button, I am warning you for the third time. If you do not listen, I will give away the McQueen vehicles to a poor child. You are too spoilt, hence this behavior”.

A couple of days ago, I was just about to get to the third warning when his lovely voice pipes up “Amma, if you give my McQueen vehicles to a poor child, the poor boy will be a rich boy and I will be a poor boy”

Can’t help being amused eh? Needless to say, threats are not going to work much in this household again. Just when I thought I had a parenting style that works, there it flies out of the window again. Constantly innovating to keep ahead of Button!

Button’s latest fancy is ‘Dora the Explorer’. I had the occasion to observe him defending his choice to a friend of his at a b’day party. The friend said “Only girls watch Dora the Explorer. You should not watch Dora. You should watch Chhota Bheem and Doraemon”.

I was beaming with pride when Button said “I love Dora. I like it. Why should I not watch it? My amma says Dora is fun.”

The joy of hearing the conviction in his voice put a spring in my step. If there are two things I’d like to inculcate in my son, it is belief in his judgment and to be well mannered. And it seems like some seeds have been sown somewhere!

When I went to the hospital to deliver Twinkle, in a small voice he asked me “Amma will it hurt you?”

I said “It will Button, but the Doctors will give me some medicine to make it better and I will soon call you to let you know when you can visit your baby brother or sister.”

He gave me lots of grief with his reply “Amma, I ONLY want a baby sister. If it is a baby brother, let us give him to someone else”

You can imagine how hard I prayed through the 14 hour labour to have a girl! And well, Twinkle is now his favorite person in the world, even usurping his beloved dad! I think a separate post on their bonding is worth it!

P (the husband) and I were putting away the liquor bottles at home (my parents were going to shift in a few days later!) In passing, I remarked to Button (who was being a little helper), “Button, one day you are going to grow up, go clubbing and drinking with your girlfriend”.

Pat comes the reply “When will I grow up amma?”

Never my son, not if I can help it J But I better get used to the fact that you ARE growing up!

Gearing up for Ganpati bappa’s arrival a few months ago, I was in quiz mode.

“Button, which ummachi (God) has an elephant head?”

And Button replied “Lightning McQueen”

Stumped! Yes, we love McQueen like God! Listening Disney?

A last one for the road….

We were driving past P’s college one day (IIT Madras) and I pointed it out to him (as I had the past several times). Asked him, “Button, what is the name of appa’s college?”

I was greeted by silence. So I prompted him…”I…I….I”

And came the reply “iPhone?”

And another one bites the dust J Steve Jobs, are you grinning?