Send in the clown

Danielle's had to rely alot on her imagination these days.

These days, Mummy's too pooped to bring her out to the park, let alone playdates.

These days, Mummy's days are filled with appointments with various estate agents.

These days, the only 'stimulation' Danielle gets is the 'visually exciting decor' some potential flats offer - which isn't much - I can tell ya that.

This week, Mummy managed to squeeze in ONE miserable visit to the library. Even then, it was cut short. Mummy had places to go, appointments to drag Danielle to, people Danielle didn't have to meet, but did.

Why am I referring to myself in the 3rd person? I do not know. No, hang on. I do.

I half-wish there's another one of 'me' now. Another Saggs who'll do ALL the legwork - scheduling appts, showing up for appts, getting quotes, running errands, whilst the real me goes about my weekly routine with Danielle - trips to the park, library, supermarket, playdates, feed the ducks etc. That, would be nice.

Sorry if I'm boring everyone with my litany of complaints. It's been a tough week, worsened by the fact that Danielle's on half-term break. Which means she has to follow me on ALL the house viewings. And I'm feeling terribly guilty she's not having the fun she deserves. Or perhaps I'm just disgruntled that my usual routine has been thwarted by the sudden turn of events.

But rather than drivel on about my humdrum life, let's talk about Danielle's fertile imagination, shall we?

Somewhere between conjuring up Fisherman, Greengrocer, Teacher and a gung-ho Monster Buster, I'm surprised Danielle still finds time to be a Daughter and Mummy's little Comedian.

And she's been using the unlikeliest of props to aid her imagination. Besides whirling it around to cast spells, her magic wand also moonlights as a fishing rod (for catching Sharks with!), her green bolster (yes, the one she wraps her legs around every night) doubles up as a Monster-blasting raygun, her pink IKEA stool is the cashier counter that rings up the World's most exhorbitant veggies (20 pounds for 2 carrots!??)

She's also developed 'reasoning' skills over the past few weeks, and is now able to rattle off all kinds of retorts when I query her.

for e.g

Mummy: Danielle, why are you carrying so many bags?
Danielle: Coz (she NEVER says 'becoz' for some reason)... we're going TO THE SHOPS!

That's another 'habit' of hers, by the way. She's devoted half her answers to 3 special words - 'TO THE SHOPS!'

another e.g

D: Mummy! There's a dragon!
M: Really! Is it chasing us?
D: Yes!
M: Where should we hide?
D: To the shops!

'To the shops' is very important to her. It's a statement that's become the sum of all wisdom, the answer to every question, the mantra of her life...

2 days back, she conjured a scary 'Ice Monster' in my bedroom. It promptly started shooting icicles at us as we cowered under the bedcovers. We were Sun Princess & Sun Queen come to rid the world of the blistering cold and the chilly monstrosity. We blasted the ice beast with our bolster laser guns and pelted it with 'invisible' handgrenades. I wish I had videos or pictures to supplement this entry with, but I don't. So you'll have to imagine the battle scene for yourselves.

Then yesterday, she decided she was 'The Teacher'. With a long stick in hand, she pointed at numbers and alphabets with a suitable dead-pan face. But halfway through class, she declared imperiously, 'I have a moustache'.

After what felt like a full minute of jaw-dropping, mind-boggling astoundment, Papa and I burst into peals of laughter.

With a daughter like her, I'm hoping my next 30-odd years will be a laugh-a-minute.