Driving home today from preschool, Raeven, who seemed a little cranky (ah, don’t you love Mondays?) because she’d missed her snack time, asked me a very unexpected question.

“Mommy, why are we here in USA and not in Cowlor Lampur?”

“Daddy has to work here, sweetie.”

“Oh…what happened to his old work?”

“Well, he got a new job.”

“Why?”

“So we get to come here, sweetie.”

“Oh. But I like his old work better, Mommy!!” Rae whined.

From my rearview mirror, I could see her folding her hands huffily, face creasing into a frown.

Great. Final stages of food deficiency kicking in. Floor it, sister.

“You don’t like it here in US?” I dared to ask, just to keep the conversation going before she truly flipped out.

“No! I don’t like the YUCKY leaves and the YUCKY flowers!!” she replied, a little too loudly.

I kept my mouth shut for fear of invoking further wrath, and also because I can’t really talk when I drive. I’m stupid like that.

As we turned into our complex, a little squirrel darted across the road about 20 feet away.

“OH MOMMY LOOK! SQUIRREL!!” she yelled.

A moment later, she cooed in a sing-song voice, “Awwww such a cute weetle squirrel, Mommy.”

And it was all smiles from then on.

Mood swings at age four. What the heck?