Monday 12 September 2011

KING CASANOVA


I’m just going to go ahead and say it, at the nascent age of fourteen months; the King is quickly becoming a Casanova. I always knew he was a lover rather than a fighter – although you touch his stuffed elephant that he sleeps with and you will be shut down – but of late he has been developing some serious, definitive moves. I’m not sure if this should alarm me as a parent or impress me. At the moment, it’s pretty darn adorable.

Early on he was always the kid at the park that instead of looking at other babies his age; he would focus on the mothers - and more importantly, gaining their attention. Wherever he was, he would set his sights on a woman in the park, make eyes at her and keep his focus locked on her until she would look his way. Then of course, he would turn on the charm, smile, bat his little eyelashes and occasionally let out a loud laugh with his head slightly tossed back. I tell you, moves. More impressive was the fact that sometimes he would sit and wait for a look from a woman for a good five minutes. That is some serious dedication to one’s craft.

Now that he is up and walking, his repertoire has evolved. The other day at music class, whilst the other twenty children were sitting in a circle, each in their parent’s laps – how they get them to do that is beyond me! – the King was walking around the room eyeing up the mothers [okay, and the children’s snacks; one little boy’s croissant caused some serious drooling]. He would stand about a foot in front of each mother and then launch his smile-charm-offensive. If that was not enough, when I would finally coax him to sit down in my lap, after a moment or so, he would gently place his hand on the woman’s thigh on either side of him and leave it there until they would look at him. Of course, feeling a little person’s hand on their leg would cause them to turn and see who had the audacity, at which time King Casanova would lean in and smile until they would smile back at him. For now this little habit is downright charming and adorable [I am slightly worried if he is doing this as a grown man on the tube as I don’t think it will be met with the same adoration]. 

The King will also practice this routine at home with a few added moves that I can only assume he thinks will either impress or seduce me into giving him something (a cuddle, milk…a pie…I kid; he’s fine with half a pie). This move involves his beloved elephant – his partner in crime – which he gently places on my knee, or on the floor etc., and then he lays his head on it, looks at you with his wide brown eyes, puts his bum up in the air and smiles. I will often find him around the house right in my path in this exact pose, just smiling up at me. Honestly, it’s hard not to give the child what he wants when he’s batting his eyelashes and hugging an elephant. Then again, I am an absolute sucker for a charming man.
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