I am loved

Backstory:  We like Legos. M is very creative with her Legos and one of our recent builds was an airplane.  After it was built, we named the pilot Steve Kerplansky.

Last night (6/22/11)
M:  Mom, can I show you my Lego people?

Me:  Sure

M:  Bringing out her people all arranged and begins naming/explaining them.  There's Steve, Steve Kerplansky.

Me:  I love Steve Kerplansky.

M:  Steve Kerplansky loves you.

Recent Conversations

Yesterday (10/29/09) Morning, on our way out the door to go to school:

...somehow getting onto planets....

M: Mom, what is the further planet from Earth?

Me: Well, Pluto used to be, but now I think it's Neptune. I can't really remember the order of the planets and I don't remember the trick to do it.

M: What trick?

Me: It's called a mnemonic device and it's a way to remember the order of something. Like knowing that the word HOMES will give you the five Great Lakes of Michigan. Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, Superior.

M: Ontario, I know Ontario. Why is it called that when it's in Michigan?

Me: Because it's an Indian word that's used a lot around these areas for the Indians that used to live here.

M: The white people weren't very nice to the Indians.

Me: No, they weren't.

M: I bet the Indians were sad when the white people came.

Me: Yep, I bet they were.

M: It's like white people were British.

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this morning (10/30/09) on the way to school

background information - I bought an umbrella for M that automatically opens and closes because she has one that's too big (parasol shaped) for her backpack and the small one that I have is a manual and she has a little trouble with it. We practiced opening and closing it to be sure she could work it with the understanding that she could take it to school.

M: My new umbrella is in my backpack.

Me: Yep.

M: It has a button that opens and closes it.

Me: Mmmmhmmm.

M: It's electric.

Me: No honey, it's automatic.


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tonight, in the car (10/30/09)

M: Did you know you have a telescope in your mouth?

Me: What do you mean?

M: There's a telescope in your mouth.

Me: [no clue] That you can look at things with?

M: No, that the tooth fairy uses to see in your mouth.

Me: Hmmm...I didn't know.

A Recent Conversation

Date: Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Location: My car on the way to dance
Time: 3:40ish

M: Mom? What's Aunt Darlene's first name?

Language

Because E's speech is delayed, we've been using some basic signs (actually good for all kids) to communicate. Signs like eat, more, drink, play. We also have the Baby Signing Time* videos which we started watching this summer. I've tried them in the past, but she hadn't seemed too interested (e.g., totally ignored the TV), so I've tried them periodically and E finally keyed into them as you can see.






















In the last month or so, she started signing more and eat. Last night, while having snacks while M was at dance class, she signed this:



More crackers! Booyah!

*note, the Baby Signing Time videos are awesome. The picture of E watching, though, is of a different video, but I loved the pose. Here she is watching Baby Signing Times. Also, it was hot that day and there's always laundry in my living room. Who's keeping score when my baby says more crackers!

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.

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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?

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?

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.

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.


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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.

Findings

Me: Why is there a pile of ripped up tissues under your bed?

M: I wanted confetti for my guys [stuffed animals].

Typical Man

Recent conversation:

M: how old do you think Santa is?

Me: I don't know. How old do you think he is?

M: [thinking...] 32

Me: Oh. Okay.

M: And I think that Mrs. Claus is 23.

Hoping for Vegetarian Robbers

or at least non-Cannibal ones.

Scene: Me, working to upload kids music for M to take on trip; Big Daddy, in kitchen (next room) getting dinner ready; M wandering between.

M (to Big Daddy): Did you know there are other states where there are robbers who kill people?

BD: Yes, there are.

A few minutes later, to me:

M: Mom, did you know there are robbers who sometimes kill people?

Me: Yes, honey, unfortunately that's true.

M: Why?

Me: I don't know.

M: I think robbers want to kill us for our meat.

Me: Okay.

M (returning to kitchen): Dad, do we have meat?

BD: What do you mean?

M: Like animals, do we have meat?

BD: Yes

M: Oh. I think robbers want to kill us for our meat.

BD: No, robbers usually want things, not meat.

M: No, they want our meat.

Kissing Santa

Today, while listening to I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa:

Me: What do you think Daddy would do if he saw me kissing Santa?

M: Probably kiss him too.

Infinity and Beyond

M: I will love you for all time.

Me: I will love you for all time to infinity and beyond.

M: What's infinity?

Me: It means forever; there's no end to infinity.

M: Yeah, that's for me too.

Recent Conversation

M: Do you know why sunflowers are called sunflowers?

Me: Because they look like the sun?

M: No (as if it's obvious that looking like the sun could NEVER be the reason), it's because they need the sun to grow.

Clearly We Need to Work on Vocabulary

Me: How was school today?

M: Good.

Me: What did you do?

M: I weaked myself out.

Me: You weaked yourself out? How did you do that.

M: By playing. R & J had to help me walk to lunch.

Me: Wasn't that nice of them to help you.

Clearly A Miscommunication

Getting ready to leave for Monkey Jump, in front of a mirror:

M: Lipstick makes you generous

Me: [scrambling madly to think how this could be] Generous?

M: Yes. It makes you generous.

Me: [finally cluing in] You mean glamorous?

M: No. Generous.

Me: -

M: What does generous mean?

Me: It means very nice and giving. Glamorous means very pretty in a sparkly kind of way.

M: Oh. I mean glamorous.

Disadvantages of the Modern Dad

Me: "Oh look, Cinderella Barbie is doing a headstand."

Him: "Yes, at the end of our Barbie playing, we had a little headstand contest."

Me: "Very nice."

Him: "Frankly, after so much time, I'm at a loss about what to do with Barbie."

Tender Family Moment

Sunday morning, snuggled in our bed

"When I get big and have my house, if there are spiders, I'm going to kill them."

Is this too much?

Despite attempts to pair one or the other with a solid, I was told these match "because the flowers and butterflies were pink and purple." No arguing with that...