anything for a buck

pooka has never really been into imaginary friends. occasionally, she would mention one, but she never gave it a name.

recently we watched part of a movie about a foster house for imaginary friends who have been outgrown by their kid. i think that has influenced pooka to fabricate an imaginary friend of her own. or a whole posse of them.

tonight after dinner, we spent some time in the backyard. pooka went out before me, and when i stepped out, i sniffed something funky. like the whole world smelled of mildew and spoiled fish. i kept sniffing and she asked what i was doing. when i told her that the air smelled funny, she replied, "that's because me and my sweaty friends have been running all over." ah, of course, nothing smells worse than imaginary sweat.

why can't she have imaginary friends that smell like vanilla or fabric softener? or at least fresh fish.

when we were coming in later, pooka got obnoxious about the pea pod i had picked. she told me that i couldn't eat it because it wasn't mine. she grew it, so it was hers to do with as she pleased, even though she stated that she wouldn't eat it. (apparently she gave kisu the same attitude about the tomato we picked tonight, as well.) we have talked before about her possessiveness of the family garden, so i told her she was banned from the garden for 2 days. (we're going out of town this weekend, anyway.) this made her very upset. miraculously, she didn't turn it into a full blown tantrum! after she had calmed down, she was trying to explain away her behavior.

"I'm sorry, mommy. the truth is (her new favorite phrase) i know it was wrong, but lola paid me to do it."

i managed to hide my smile behind the baby's head. when i composed my face, i explained that it's never okay to do things just for money, especially when you know that it's wrong behavior.

someday she'll be a hit-woman and stand before a judge unashamed.

"why did you kill that person?"

"because someone paid me to do it."