There's a family-run diner - not far from our place - that we like to go to for a weekend brunch, every now and then. A treat. They do great pancakes, milkshakes, omelettes, spicy breakfast burritos as large as your face... I could go on.
The fact that this diner isn't part of a franchise makes us love it even more. I don't know if it's typical of American restaurants, but it seems that in our neck of the woods, the majority of restaurants and diners belong to nation-wide franchises that specialise in bland food: Appplebees, IHOP, Marie Callender's, Olive Garden... again, I could go on. Those places hold no interest for us, though.
So, yesterday, we found ourselves at our diner. Endless coffee? Check. Toddler in high chair, throwing everything within reach onto the floor? Um, check.
When it was time to order, I began with, "I'll have a Californian omelette, but without the tomato-"
"It's tom-AY-to, not tom-AH-to, Mum!" The Faery shook her head, and gave the waitress a knowing look.
Wow. Looks like I have a little five-year-old smart arse on my hands.
Yeah, that's right. A smart arse, not ass. I am too old to change the way I speak, and I don't want to.
At least she still calls me Mum, not Mom...
So young and yet so precise - you might have a budding English major on your hands! Or at least a linguist.
ReplyDeleteAt times, it worries me just how precise she can be for her age. A budding 'something', alright...
ReplyDeleteCheeky puss - at least it was not the knowing look with eyeroll. I'm not looking forward to them working out the eyeroll.
ReplyDeleteWe have cross pollination in this house too. I'm definitely Mum but US Grandma is "Grandmaw" and carrots are often "care-uts".
Cross-pollination - what a great term! It must be interesting for you to watch how their little accents evolve, given your own J's American input. I have friends in a similar position - one half Aussie, one half American. Even in Australia, their little kids had a bit of an American twang, after their mumma's. Now that they live this side of the world too, there's no trace of the Aussie, whatsoever. It disappeared fairly quickly.
ReplyDeleteHa! Love her. LOVE that child. Smart-arsey and all.
ReplyDeleteI wonder how much Miss Pie will pick up?
It'll be interesting to see. She has less exposure to other kids her age than F sis at the same age - no mothers group here, etc. Still, most people that she interacts with are American, so at some point she's going to talk that way, I guess...
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