Four Feet More

Vika has a new boyfriend. Actually, he’s kind of an old boyfriend, with whom she has recently reconnected. Remember how last year she started kindergarten at her home school, and was overloaded to my school because there were too many students in her class? Well, the boy is one that she had a crush on when she had been attending her home school. This year, she went back to the home school and was ecstatic to see him again.

Here in California, our population is very diverse. With families from all different cultures and parts of the world, there are many unfamiliar names to learn. Vika’s little boyfriend is part of a Sikh family from India, so he wears his hair up in a bun on top of his head, and it is covered by a white piece of cloth (a child’s version of the turban – not sure what the official name is). Whenever Vika talks about him, she says, “My boyfriend with the” and then puts her fist up on top of her head to mimic a bun.

After a week of, “My boyfriend (fist on head to mimic bun)”, I said, “Vika, you really need to learn this boy’s name! “

Yesterday, when Jeff picked her up after school, Vika came running to him with a proud grin on her face and said, “I know my boyfriend’s name! It’s Musafavava!”

Jeff: “What?”

Vika: “His name is Moosahfavava!”

J: “Moosava what?”

V: “Mooshavafava!” (said behind her hands)

J: “Vika, I can’t hear you. What’s your boyfriend’s name?” (said loudly to achieve maximum embarrassment).

V: “Papa! It’s Mashavsava!”

J: “Vika, ‘Mashavsava’ is not a name in any language I know of. If you’re going to call this kid your boyfriend, you’d better learn his name first! “

At this point, Vika was thoroughly exasperated with Jeff and got into the bike trailer in a huff.

A couple minutes later as they were heading home, Jeff heard an annoyed voice shouting behind him, “MOOSAFAVAFA!!!!”

Vika is persistent, I’ll give her that. But she still needs to learn her boyfriend’s name. :)