TheBanyanTree: Nobbling Nemo

[Anita Coia]

My partner, The Male, has a couple of very cute nephews. The older one
(Nephew One) is particularly entertaining, in that unselfconscious way
that spirited kids have. He's nearly four, and small for his age due to
a number of unfortunate physical conditions. However, he's apparently
not aware of any shortcomings given his forward nature, and his mind is
as sharp as a tack.

We volunteered to mind Nephew One while his parents took a well-earned
weekend away. Keeping this rascal entertained is a full-time job, so we
had a trip out to the Aquarium in Melboune. This is a pretty good spot,
with a highlight being the tunnel you walk through to watch the sharks,
rays and myriad fish swim over you. That freaked him out a bit, as he
hasn't quite got the concept of sharks not being able to get him through
the glass.

There's also a theme-park type ride at the Aquarium; you sit in a seat
mounted on a platform that moves as the images on the screen in front of
you change. Nephew One is too small to go on this ride, so I stayed
outside with him in the Finding Nemo-themed play area. Distracting him
wasn't hard; he was dead keen to get on one of the two rides in the play
area - the sort you used to find at the front of a supermarket. Instead
of having to pay $1 for them, they were free.  One is Nemo, arched back
and ridden like a horse, with reins and stirrups to keep the kid firmly
on board.

Nephew One ran excitedly up to the Nemo ride, ready to jump on. He gazed
up at the other kid there and the kid's mother, assessing them curiously
through his glasses. Then he anounced confidently to the mother, "It's
my turn next!"

"No," I said, "we have to let others have their turn first".  He looked
at me, then looked at them, then looked at the ride. The other kid's
turn came, and as the mother was loading her child onto the ride, before
the reins and stirrups were engaged, Nephew One darted forward and
slapped the "Start" button, nearly sending the kid catapulting across
the room.

"I'm so sorry!!" I gasped to the mother, mortified yet trying not to
laugh. She muttered something and put her kid back on the ride as I
admonished Nephew One, the evil child, who was watching with interest
the upset he had caused. Then he noticed the other ride, a little truck,
was vacant and scampered off to dominate that for a while.

I have a photo taken shortly afterward, of the two of us sitting in the
jawbone of a giant shark. Everyone who sees that photo comments on what
an alert little face Nephew One has, and the more astute always see the
devilishness in that cute little imp's features...

Anita