I say it like this because of what just happened. I called my Mum up, I’m fortunate she lives fairly close by, and whispered to the munchkin to say “Happy” then “Mothers” and then “Day” and he did, and Mum thanked him (I had her on speaker) and then I said the same to her and invited her out to breakfast, and then she asked if he had said that to me, and I admitted he hadn’t. Somehow teaching him to say it to me just seemed wrong.
So, she asked him if he would say the words to me and he said, “I watch Thomas!” meaning Thomas the Tank Engine which was playing on the television at that moment, and wandered off with the phone. Mum was still on speaker so I could hear her chatting to him at one point he told her that she was “hopeless” and another it sounded like he said something was gross.
He’s sitting on the couch with the phone by this point and I’m getting a clean diaper (nappy) and trying to start getting him dressed so that we can be ready once Mum is ready to go to brunch, and he’s saying he can’t say that to me, and so Mum’s boyfriend (who the munchkin idolizes) gets on the phone.
He says, “It would be real good if you tell your Mum “Happy Mother’s Day,” right?”
Munchkin says, “Hi, John!”
“You can tell your Mum “Happy Mother’s Day” and give her a hug and a kiss?”
“Okay, John.”
By this point I’m sitting down next to him, having just managed to change his diaper without upsetting the phone call, and the munchkin gives me this sheepish look and then gives me a kiss and snuggles up against my shoulder, “Happy Burfday,” he says.
