"I don't know" and " I forgive you"

Evangelia has been chattering away alot recently. Her ever endearing voice never ceases to tug my heart whenever she talks.

Gary and I noticed she has a bit of "xiao chong ming", AKA--try to be smart. But of course, the early childhood trained me has a term for it to make it sound a little less demeaning--prediction (of what comes next).

She often will say things that she knows will typically be the reply. Example, whenever she calls out "Papa/Mama!" We will reply, "Yes?!" So she has learnt a response; that if she calls out for us, a "Yes" will always be returned. So now, she'll skip a step, not waiting for our reply, "Mama/Papa! Yes?!" But she will still want us to reply, "Yes!" If not, she'll go on and on repeating.

Gary, being the one who is more firm and persistent in disciplining her, will expect her to apologise when she misbehaves. Gary and I make it a point to say, "I forgive you." (It's an assuring and affirming thing to a child, in fact, to anyone who seeks forgiveness, isn't it? To know that when I make mistakes, I apologise, my sought for forgiveness is accepted. Something I learn through inner healing--a simplified example of God's fogiveness for our sins.)

So, once she was very mischievous at the supermarket and Gary had to discipline her. However, just when Gary was barely through with reasoning with her and made her realised her mistake, she quickly said, "Sorry, Papa. I forgive you." I couldn't help but burst out laughing beside her and that gave her a chance to "escape" from the situation. She tried to force out a laughter, an attempt to manipulate her Papa to laugh too. And so he did, of course.

And one evening, we knocked off from work and went to pick her from my in laws. I spotted my father in law's mobile phone on the floor. I picked it up, knowing the culprit must be her, and asked, "What happened? Why is Yeye's phone on the floor?" Lia replied, with a matter of factly expression and she used a "twisted wrist" gesture, "I don't know!"

Her yeye upon hearing his phone was on the floor also came out just then and asked her again. Without a thought, she repeated, "I don't know." And walked away.

Some things kids do to make adults' day better after a hard day's work. :)