Out of the Mouth of a Three-Year-Old Friend

Those who know me know that children are some of my very favorite people.  And while I enjoy children of all ages, if asked to pick a specific favorite age, my choice would be three-year-olds.

So could it be a coincidence that my coworkers have two beautiful little girls, Lorena and Isadora, one of whom just turned three?  Not even.  This proves that God knows me inside and out.  He often gives me things and people and friendships just to show His love and bring joy to my heart.  It reminds me that I am not only God’s servant, I am His beloved daughter.

 

Anyway, three-year-old Isadora has an impressive vocabulary, which, combined with her outgoing personality and developing reasoning skills, are put to good use each day, entertaining the adults in her life.  Not even her parents can predict what will come out of her mouth at any given moment.

The following conversations took place in Portuguese, but I will translate them as accurately as possible, trying not to lose the Cuteness Factor.

FIRST STORY

Sunday night, on the way home from church, Isadora rested her head in my lap and grabbed my hand.  Noticing the rough dry skin on a couple of my fingertips, she started rubbing it and suddenly exclaimed,  “There’s a DISEASE here!”

Me: *pretending to be shocked*  A disease?  How did I get this disease?

Isadora:  It’s because when you fell off a tractor trailer truck.

Me: *trying not to laugh* Oh, ok.  And what’s the name of this disease?

Isadora:  You can call it fall…en.

Me:  Fallen, right.  And how can I get rid of the disease?

Isadora:  “e-perar”  (due to her slight lisp, I wasn’t quite sure what she said, so guessed at the most similar Portuguese word that came to mind)

Me:  Operate?!?  *thinking, oh no!  A three-year-old wants to cut off my fingers.*

Isadora: “No!  E-perar” (she still didn’t put the s in the word, but I got it this time)

Me:  Oh, you said WAIT.  If I wait, the disease will go away?

Isadora:  It will.

Me:  Well, that’s pretty much what I’m doing.  I’m waiting for it to go away, and I’m also asking God to take it away.

Doctor Isadora seemed satisfied with that, and rested on my lap again.

SECOND STORY

We were in the car again, with the air conditioner on.  Isadora suddenly sniffed and said, “I smell cold.”

Her mom commented that cold does seem to have its own smell.

Isadora:  Do you know how I smell cold?

Me:  No, how?

Isadora: I take it in with my mouth, and it leaves out my nose, and then I smell it.

Me:  *laughing*  Wow, you did a really good job explaining it.  How did you figure that out?

Isadora:  I was just sitting here in my carseat, not going anywhere.  So I made it up.

THIRD STORY

Lorena and Isadora showed up at my door.  Isadora was holding her teddy bear.

Me:  Hi, girls!  Come on in!

(Lorena opened the door and entered, Isadora stayed outside).

Me: What’s the matter, Isadora?  You can come in.

Isadora: I can’t, because my son is shy around you.  (her son, is, of course, the teddy bear)

Me: *bending down to the teddy bear’s level*  Oh, that’s too bad.  Hi Isadora’s son!  You can come in too.  Why is he shy around me?

Isadora:  Well.  He’s shy, because he’s my son, and you don’t have any sons.

So apparently, I should have brought a teddy bear along to Brazil.