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Sunday
Jul252010

She Will Name it Nelly

"Momma, I want a horse," she said. "A real horse."

"Oh, really?" I responded. It wasn't that I didn't quite believe her, but well, I didn't quite believe her. The kid likes animals and all, but I can't imagine her actually touching a horse unless she were dressed in an airtight spacesuit and had arms that were twenty-feet long. No, make that forty-feet long.

"Can I call Daddy and ask him for a horse?" she asked.

It was an interesting choice of words. I realized she hadn't asked me for anything, but rather, stated that she wanted it and then was attempting to go around me as she sought out permission. "Why ask Daddy and not me?" I asked, calling her out on the sneaky shenanigans.

"You'll say, 'No," she said quickly. "Can I call Daddy?" she repeated.

I loved that she assumed I would say, "No." LOVED. I mean, I absolutely would have shot down her dreams of sticking a real horse somewhere, but the fact that she thought she could get around me by getting her father on her side? HILARIOUS!

"Where would you put a horse?" I asked.

"The yard," she replied. "I could build a barn for the horse and it could live in our yard."

"Oh, really?" I asked.

"Yeah. I'll take care of the horse and ride it and pet it and give it hay and everything!" she excitedly rambled. "Can I call Daddy now?"

"Sure," I told her as I handed her the phone. She knows how to find the phone number and give him a call, so I anxiously awaited the serious squirm-a-thon that was to come.

You see, Mr. Husband cannot tell that child, "No." He just can't. I'm not sure if it is written into the Daddy to a Girl By-Laws or what, but he is putty in her hands. And, yet, this was one request that he couldn't just make good on. It wasn't a simple thing like letting her watch too much TV or eat a snack or whatever. He truly had no choice but to turn her down.

"Hi, Daddy!" she said as he apparently answered the phone. Never one to beat-around-the-bush, she followed up immediately with, "Can I get a real horse? Please?"

I would pay huge money to have gotten to hear his reply, and to have seen his face. Her response told a tale, but I bet the whole story was even better than what I can imagine. I imagine there was some uncomfortable hemming and hawing, and I know for a fact there was an amused little chuckle. I know that part because, through tears, Alexis told me so.

"Daddy laughed at me," she wailed as she tried to hand me the phone. The child has an amazing sense of humor, but when she's not trying to be funny, she positively hates to be laughed at. It crushes her heart and sends her into hysterics every single time.

She continued to sob for several minutes, completely oblivious to the fact that her father had never actually answered her question. She was so wrapped up in being over-sensitive to a few chuckles that she even managed to forget why she was upset. I would have reminded her, but I'm hoping she remembers on her own sometime when we're all in a room together.

I want to watch Mr. Husband squirm as he tries to figure out a way to keep her smiling.

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Reader Comments (11)

My husband has the same problem with the word 'no' when it comes to our 5 year old asking for anything associated with Star Wars. I currently have a two foot tall AT-AT (I know you haven't seen Star Wars but it's that four legged mechanical walker thing) sitting in a closet waiting for Christmas.
July 25, 2010 | Unregistered Commentermattieflap
I wouldn't be soo smug!! You never know!!

http://tinyurl.com/2fd5jn5
July 25, 2010 | Unregistered CommenterJoeBob
Bwahahahahahahaha! Epic!
July 25, 2010 | Unregistered CommenterElisabeth
Don't you just hate having to ALWAYS be the bad cop!?!?

Funny that she tried to head straight to the good cop on this one :D
July 25, 2010 | Unregistered CommenterBrooke G
Maybe you should start small. Like a goat. A goat lives in a barn, eats hay, and can be ridden by a 4 year old. I can also hook you up with one just in case Mr. Daddy loses that War With No.
July 25, 2010 | Unregistered CommenterKaren
I'm in for $5 toward a pony. The kid needs a pony.

And yeah, reading posts about your family adventures with your new pony (gotta be one of those mutant small horses used for guides for the blind so it lives in your house) would be hysterical.

Bwahaha!

Besides, she's so cute.
July 26, 2010 | Unregistered CommenterRob
Just tell her, "OK, you build the barn first, because the horse will need somewhere to stay right away..." Maybe that will buy you some time, at least until she sets her sights on something else.
July 26, 2010 | Unregistered Commenterbluzdude
Oh. Shoot. Don't tell her that I laughed. HA!

(BTW: My dad's reply to the horse question, which was never an outright no either as he was also putty in my hands, was this: "Okay. But you have to agree to clean the poop from the stalls every morning before school." Poop? At 6:30am? He knew my answer.)
July 26, 2010 | Unregistered CommenterFireMom
Before the Husband says yes, perhaps you should tell him he has to move some stones to the back yard to build the stables. :)
July 26, 2010 | Unregistered CommenterKatie in MA
You better buy her some wood, so she can get started on that barn. ; )
July 26, 2010 | Unregistered CommenterJen
uh... i could not say no to that face either.

just sayin'
July 27, 2010 | Unregistered Commenterthe planet of janet
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