For Christmas this year, the girls got a turtle and an octopus made out of some material* that expands a crazy amount when you soak it in water. They deflate when you let them dry, and the girls have really, really enjoyed playing with these things. Curretly, they reside in the tub, because, as they have pointed out to me, there is often a lot of water there and turtles and octopi like to swim.
So last night, I was in and out of the bathroom. I watch them in there, but they are old enough now that I am comfortable going into another room to grab some towels, or going downstairs to start the dishwasher. I was catching snippets of conversation throughout.
At one point when I walked in, Katie was calling hers Elizabeth. Maggie asked said she thought her name was Sarah. Katie explained that her real name was Elizabeth, but her nickname is Sarah. I chose not to point out that Sarah is not a common nickname for Elizabeth, because there was really no point.
So, the next time I walk in, I hear Katie asking Maggie if her octopus is a boy or a girl. Maggie says, “Well, doesn’t ‘Pussy’ sound like a girl’s name to you?” Katie didn’t think so.
Apparently, the full name is Octopussy, and her nickname is Pussy. While I was stopped short by the name, Maggie started using her name more in a list of what her octupus likest to do. Pussy likes to swim! And dance! And on and on.
After so we had a little discussion about the James Bond movie Octopussy which has no Octopi in it, but does have spies, making it not a very good movie for kids, but one that grown ups like a lot. I told her that the movie makes grown-ups uncomfortable when people call people Pussy. Neither Maggie nor Katie was very happy about that because, grownups just need to get over it. Its an octupus, and she there is a good reason for her to be named Octopussy.
I suggested that sometimes, it is just easier to avoid words that make grownups uncomfortable than to explain why they are being really silly about the word. And we agreed that Maggie won’t refer to her octopus by name except when she’s in the house.
I decided it was a good time to go check on their pajamas when both of them started back on the list of the things the octopus likes to do. Spin! Get soapy! Get clean! Dive!
*I believe that these things are made out of the same thing that is stuffed inside diapers. I’ve seen enough exploded diapers in my day to know what the stuff looks like, and seriously, how many materials are that absorbent?
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