Conversations

I understand about 90% of what Malía says. Sometimes the pronunciation is so off that it takes several repetitions and often she resorts to other ways of clarifying what she means before I "get it".

And, sometimes, she's clear as a bell:

The Divine Miss M (and I don't mean Midler! :)
(While putting a brown cardigan on her)
Mal: No, mama, I don' want dis
Mama: It's pretty. It looks so nice, Malía.
Mal: (tears starting) No, mama, p'ease, p'ease. I don' want dis.
Mama: (a bit frustrated) Excuse me, Missy, but you are much too young to start this stuff.
Mal: Mama, pink. Pink, okay?
Mama: But your under top is pink.
Mal (bigger tears) Mama, pink, p'ease.
(so I get the bright idea to take off the under top, replace it with a white sweater and put the pink back on OVER the white)
Mama: There you go, little pain.
Mal: (all smiles) Tank you, Mama.
Mama: You're welcome baby.

The Inevitable
(On the way home from Vô-Vô and Vó-Vó's)
We are chatting about lights and colours etc and suddenly she spots a light up "family".
Mal: Mama, Daddy.
Mama: What?
Mal: Mama, Daddy.
Mama: Daddy?
Mal: Daddy, over dere. (She points to one of the light people)
Mama: (feeling the pang) I'm sorry sweetie.
Mal: Is okay, Mama.

Empathy
(while watching Frosty Returns and he has just had a big hole blown in his middle by something called Summer Wheeze)
Mal: Wha' happen, Mama?
Mama: The man sprayed Frosty with something and he now has a big hole. (then noting her worried eyes) But, it's okay, the children will help him and he'll be all right, honey.
Mal: Mama i' hur's?
Mama: No baby. See, he's all better now.
Mal: (noticing and smiling) Oh, okay.

Little Waters Run Deep
(after I have shooed her to bed for getting up when she should've been alseep)
Mal: (patting the pillow beside her) Go bed Mama. Go bed, Ma'ia.
Mama: Okay, but just for s second.
Mal: Mama, I scar't.
Mama: You were scared? Why?
Mal: (fast and furious stream of unintelligible talk, in which I caught the words "phone", "mama", "home", scar't" and "Ma'ia" for sure. )
Mama: Slow down sweetie. You got scared after you talked to Mama on the phone? (I had called at 3:30pm and would not be picking her up until 6pm b/c of going to the funeral home for a friend's husband)
Mal: Yes, scar't.
Mama: Why?
Mal: Yes, scar't. An' Mama disopee-o.
Mama: (an ah ha moment!) Oh you talked to Mama, but I didn't come for a long time and you thought I disappeared, baby?
Mal: Yes.
Mama: No, honey. No. Mama will never disappear. I will always come to get you, okay?
Mal: (Snuggling into me)Mama, sing p'ease.
Mama: Okay. I love you, baby.
Mal: I love you, Mama.
(and I sang Silent Night, then What Child is This? until her eyes finally closed and her grip relaxed)