Sunday, July 19, 2009

The Week in Car Conversations

Car Conversations are the best. These both occurred between our house and the daycare where the girls attend (all of a couple miles):

Monday, July 13
Me: [something about how tall the corn is]
M: [asked something about agriculture]
Me: Well, we could ask Uncle Jack about it next time we see him.
M: Or Cousin Timmy.
Me: Yes, we could ask him too.
M: Does Timmy wear a farmer's hat?
Me: What do you mean a farmer's hat?
M: You know, a straw hat.
Me: I don't think so, I think he just wears baseball caps.

********************************
Friday, July 17
[backing out of the house, turning off the NPR newscast before I have to explain various issues in the world]
M: What is that?
Me: It's the news, honey.
M: What is it saying?
Me: Just the bad stuff that people do sometimes. I don't want to listen to it this morning.
M: Did they hurt the President?
Me: No, he's fine. It's other stuff in the world.
M: [long pause] Before going to sleep, I say the Pledge of Allegiance.
Me: Excellent. What else do you think about before going to sleep?
M: I think about God.
Me: What do you think about God?
M: I think he's one of the best people to take care of us.
Me: Okay.
[conversation continued on why people believe in different God, why people hurt or are mean to people who don't believe in the same God, what girl gods were called, etc. You know, things one can totally address in the 5 minute commute with a six year old]
Finally...
Me: Well, honey, things about God are kind of complex.
M: What's complex?

Monday, July 13, 2009

Character

A recent sticky note that I found with the following:
1. $1 to E
2. Pot of gold - lost & found

Translated (must have been in March of this year):
1. In Big Daddy's family, there's a tendency to give money as well as gifts. Uncle E always slips the kids a buck or two; and for various minor holidays (Easter, Halloween, etc.) there's usually a card and a small or medium bill. For E's birthday, M and I had picked out a card from M and as I was having her sign it and get it ready for E's party (held in March this year), M raced back to her room to get something out of the cup that holds her spending money. She comes back with a dollar to put in E's card, because that's what you do.

2. At school, we usually received a calendar of various types of activities. Parents were encouraged to do 2 - 3 a week, then turn it in at the end of the month with comments from the kid and the adult about what they liked, etc. One of the activities asked the student to tell what they would do if they found a pot of gold; so one morning as we were working through some of the activities, I asked M what she would do. She said, "turn it into lost and found."

Is it any wonder that I love this kid so?

Saturday, July 11, 2009

Mysterious

7/8/09

M: Mom, come here. There's something mysterious in my window.

Me: Hmm, mysterious in your window? Let's see!

Enters M's room and hears the music that's coming from neighbors who live behind through M's open window. I told her that the neighbors were playing music and that we could hear it, kind of like when Big Daddy plays music when he's cleaning the garage. Her tone, though, throughout was of awe that there's was fun music outside.

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Literacy

This year, M learned to read in school.

It's amazing to me, watching M learn to read and helping out at the end of school for a few week, that any child learns to read. English is a bitch of a language. When we're reading together, it's a constant struggle....

Me: No honey, this time the "i" sounds like ice cream, not kitten.

I can see that M gets frustrated and I can't always blame her. What's really funny about it, though, is that all the kids I read with at her school and in helping her, the kids stumble on what is seemingly the easiest, and most common words, like it, is, in, and sail through sometimes and elephant. I think it's because is, it, and in "look" alike (word recognition) and they have to really stop and think about the sounds, while elephant and sometimes don't "look" like other words they're using at this point.

What's also been interesting is that, despite Big Daddy and I being huge readers and having read to M since before her birth, she really doesn't want to read by herself. I think that is due to a) she doesn't like to do things that she doesn't do well (hmm....apple falling from tree?) and b) she gets our (Big Daddy & my) undivided attention when we read together. Truth be told, I love snuggling up with her and reading together.

In the interest of practice, though, we have a deal this summer to read for at least 10 minutes and do some workbook pages in exchange for time on the computer to play with the god-forsaken Webkinz that we caved and bought her. We include her reading to Little Peeps, which, I have to say, is one of the cutest things ever. Peeps is reading and Little Peeps is rolling all over her to get closer. It's hard not to eat them both up in their cuteness.

Sunday, July 5, 2009

Recently

While eating breakfast (7/2/09):

M: Mom, who killed God?

Me: [??? scrambling widely to figure out where this is coming from*] What do you mean?

M: Who killed God? Why did he die?

Me: You mean Jesus?

M: Yes

Me: Long, explanation about God, Jesus His Son, Ancient Times, Concepts of Ancient Justice Systems... And when Jesus lived, they didn't have jails so they punished people other ways.

M: Like what?

Me: Well, they tied them up to a tree like they did Jesus [shows small representation with pencils and pens.] You know what else they did?

M: What?

Me: Well, if you stole something, they'd cut your hand off.

M: Why?

Me: Because if you don't have a hand then how would you take care of yourself? You would have to have someone take care of you, and who would want to take care of a thief?

M: Other theives.

Me: [internally - crap, foiled again] Of course.


***************************************
A short time later that same morning (have I ever mentioned M's curiosity?)

M: What happens to the water soldiers when blah, blah?

Me: You mean the Coast Guard guys?

M: Yes.

*Note that I did actually try to explain to a six-year old the complexities of Creation, God, Jesus, the killing of Jesus, and Ancient History. The more I tried to explain it to someone with a black and white view of the world (nuance and subtlety still lacking, although she's pretty good at sarcasm, go figure :-) ) and it seems totally insane.