Hello, New Person!

Kids can be so literal sometimes, making a very simple and purposeful statement into a source of humor for those of us who more fully comprehend the original idea that led to the statement.

I don’t mean to laugh at Samantha, but she eventually realizes what she’s saying and uses the humorous version specifically to be humorous.  That girl has quite a sense of humor...

Then sometimes it gets old.

For those of you who may have caught it on my FB wall last week, we lost another in-home aide for Samantha. M. had been with us for a few months, and left because her boss at the agency wasn’t giving her enough hours (nothing to do with us). It was no great loss, other than an inconvenience while we wait for a new aide.  Samantha walked all over her, didn’t seem all that invested in her, and she didn’t speak a word of English anyway.

This week we have a new aide, filling in for 2 weeks until we leave for vacation. Then yet another new aide will start then. Which kind of sucks, since that means Steve has to be there with her for several days, showing her the ropes and making sure we’re comfortable leaving her and Sammi alone, then we’ll have to do it all over again in a few weeks. And we kind of like this one, too. I. is from Russia, and her English isn’t too bad. The biggest bonus is that she can read to Sammi. I won’t say anything about her inability to back her car out of our parking space, but that’s another story for another time…

Before I. started, and before we knew her name, we told Samantha that a new person would be coming. A new person, not M., would be playing with her.

So, New Person it was.

Sammi’s innocent, literal mind told her that the new person, while introduced to her by name, should from that point forward, be called, New Person. Besides, it was a whole lot easier to say that than I.’s real name, so why not? Samantha knows that I.’s name isn’t really New Person, and she does make an attempt to say her name correctly. But Wednesday, with a sly look on her face, Samantha said, on our way out the door to ride her bike, “Come on, New Person, hurry up!” Embarrassed, I quickly apologized to I., who laughed and waved it away.

She still calls her that.  I think she just finds it convenient now.  This morning she asked if New Person would come and play with her today after school.  I told her, no, I. would not be coming today and she'd see her on Monday.  She smiled, knowingly.

Some other fun things she's been doing to let loose her budding sense of humor, so typically child-like, are to ask, "Are we there yet?" (on relentless repeat at each of my responses, punctuated by giggles at my expense) or, "Why?" (on relentless repeat at each of my responses, punctuated by giggles at my expense). 

The kid's 5.  It's what's expected.  And I get nervous giddy thinking about what these emerging comedic skills will blossom into.  Bring it on, girlie!!