The Twins Favourite Ee-Ee

A few mornings ago, in the car, while I was driving the twins to school... We weren't even talking, just listening to the music playing... when suddenly Asher said:

Asher:"Mummy, do you know which is my favourite Ee-Ee?"
Mummy Me:"Which one?"
Asher:"It's OUR Ee-EE! The REAL Ee-EE! Not the other Ee-Ees!"
Shawna:"Yes, yes, that is our favourite Ee-Ee.  "
Asher:"The Ee-Ee who is the mummy of Natalie and the other cheh chehs."
Shawna:"Yes, correct. The mummy of Rebecca, Isabelle and Natalie. Those cheh chehs. That Ee-Ee."
Asher:"That's right. That one. Our favourite Ee-Ee."
Me:"Really? How come? WHY is she your favourite Ee-Ee?"
Asher:"Because she loves us."
Shawna:"And we love her."

Me:"So WHY do you love her?" 
Shawna:"Because she is our favourite Ee-Ee lah! "
Asher:"Er... because she has swimming pool"
Me:"Huh... you love her because she has a swimming pool at her house? What if she has no swimming pools? Then you won't love her?"
Shawna:"She doesn't have just one, Mummy! She has THREE swimming pools! The small one, the big one and the deep swimming pool where Isaac kor kor has his swimming lesson."
Asher:"Yes, so we love her three times. Because she has three swimming pools."
Me:"What?! You love her three times coz she has three swimming pools!?"
Asher:"Yes! So if she has one thousand swimming pools, we will love her one thousand times! hahaha..."
Shawna:"And if she has infinity swimming pools, we will love her infinity times!!! hahahaha"
AND THEY LAUGH HYSTERICALLY
Me:"But what if she has NO swimming pools at all?"
Shawna:"But she HAS, Mummy!!!"
Me:"I know!!! But what if she doesn't. I mean, do you only love Ee-Ee because she has a swimming pool?!"
Asher:"Of course not, Mummy."
Me:"So if she doesn't have any swimming pool, would she still be your favourite Ee-Ee?"
Asher & Shawna:" YES!!!"
Me:"Good!!!"

What a relief! Good to know that my kids are not so shallow! :p

For those of you who are wondering what an "Ee-Ee" is, it's actually my sister they are talking about. "Ee-Ee" is what you call your mother's sister, in Teochew - our Chinese dialect. If it's your father's sister, she is called "Gou-Gou". So my kids have one Ee-Ee and one Gou-Gou, as hubbs and I have one sister each (and that's it - coz someone said to Stop at Two).

The kids have been calling their aunts Ee-Ee and Gou-Gou since they were born, so much so, that they don't know that the two ladies are actually their Aunties. If they see my female cousins, they are told to call them Ee-Ee as well - this is the reason why Asher is trying to say that there is only one REAL Ee-Ee for him - my sister. And if they see hubbs' female cousins, they are also told to call them Gou-Gou as well. As far as my kids are concerned, I am sure they also feel that they only have one real Gou-Gou :)

So the irony is... Do you know who is the kids' "Auntie"? The helper. She is known as "Auntie" and also, all the lady strangers that they see outside: the neighbours, in the lift, the park, and every other lady they meet who is not their relative. And same too for the males. The male strangers they meet are all Uncles, including the Bus Driver Uncle, the food stall Uncle and the Uncle who is their classmate's father. And I bet you 10 bucks the twins don't know that their Tio Tios - who are the respective husbands of their favourite Ee-Ee and favourite  Gou-Gou - are actually their Uncles. 

It certainly took a while, but the kids now know that their Popo and Nai Nai are their Grandmothers, and Gong Gong and Ye Ye are their Grandfathers.Perhaps the kids know, that if you are told to call someone some weird name which doesn't sound like English - that person must be a relative.

I wonder if this only happens in Singapore :p

There are NO Aunties and Uncles here, I tell you! None!!! :p
Picture by Orange Studios