We grandparents know that everything our grandchildren do is amazing. We also know how tiresome it can be to listen to other grandparents’ stories of their amazing grandchildren. Forgive me just this once.
Joanna Leigh is 30 months old. I’ve been saying 24 months old so that this Amazing Act of Mental Acumen seems at least somewhat amazing to those listeners who will listen.
I saw her out of the corner of my eye at her play table in our den fiddling around with an old broken hand-held calculator in a leather case. It’s about 4x6 and opens like a notebook. I noticed her folding it shut and putting it in her elastic-waist pajama bottoms.
“What is she doing?” I thought.
She walked over to me and stood. I looked at her as she pulled the notebook calculator from her pajama bottoms and opened it.
“What you want, Mama Jo?” she asked.
I just stared.
“You want pizza?” She paused, since I didn’t respond immediately.
She pulled some paper from the left pocket of the folder. “You want money?”
Suddenly it dawned on me.
Yes, we go to Pizza Hut, Wings, the Olive Garden, and other restaurants. She was taking my order!
I burst out laughing. That was not the right reaction, and she just looked at me not understanding why I’d be laughing. She was serious.
Finally I guided her to my husband so she could take his order. “Papa, what you want?”
It also took him a moment to understand what she was doing. So, for a while we played restaurant orders.
I was amazed that she could mimic the waitresses who have waited on us: that they all seemed to get their notebooks out of their pockets or pants and then ask us what we want. I wonder if she understands that after they put the folder back in their pockets or pants that what we want shows up.
If you are thinking that this incident isn’t all that amazing, that it would be only if she showed up with the order, please don’t let me know.
1 comment:
Great story, and so familiar! Our 4-year-old Sophie has been playing waitress for over a year. Like you, I took it as a possible sign that we eat in restaurants too often!! :D
Great blog, I just found it today (via a link at Katie Granju's blog, sad story there).
You've got a new reader just up the road in B'ham. :)
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