Words of a Child

Sometimes it dawns on me that though my children are my number one priority in my heart and mind, I have inadvertently put other things first in my actions.

My friends and I talk often about those moments when we realize that we’re doing everything except spending time with our children–cleaning, cooking, using the Internet, talking on the phone…Meanwhile the kids, of course, are begging for attention.

Well, here are two posts that will put a quick stop to THAT. The first is by a father named Jeremy Biser whose wife just recently gave birth. They are definitely in my thoughts and prayers. The second is by a mother named Amanda who really, really, really wanted a child (and now has a gorgeous daughter):

http://discoveringdad.blogspot.com/2008/06/premature-heartache-darkness-before.html

http://hazelana.blogspot.com/2008/05/100-days-365-days.html

Need some tissues? I sure do, and I’ve already read both of these more than two times!

Filed under: Gifts, Lessons Learned, Touching Moment, Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

My son Deep Thinker was placed in a first grade class that has apparently been his teacher’s WORST NIGHTMARE! Poor teacher. I feel for her, having taught and knowing what it’s like to have a very difficult class.

Deep Thinker is Mr. Rules, so his biggest disappointment is that when a few students misbehave, everyone gets punished sometimes. That’s given us some good opportunities to talk together about life isn’t always fair. Then other times, we decide on something special he can have at home to make up for a hard time at school.

He comes home saying FUNNY things that clue me into how his teacher’s day went. Here’s an example from yesterday:

I asked, “How’d your day go?” He said fine.

Then he said, “I know what irate means. It means beyond angry.”

I had to chuckle quietly. And then asked him how he knew this. He said, “Oh, Ms. Blackwell was irate with the class today because no one would sit down during reading time.”

Fun times:) His last day of first grade is tomorrow. How can that be??????????

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Deep Thinker is sooo excited about his baby brother (due date August 13). I like asking him theoretical questions sometimes because it’s fun to hear his take on things. So, I asked, “Will it be fun to have 3 boys, or is that too many?” He said FUN.

I continued, “Well, what about 4? Do you think that the new baby might feel lonely since he’ll be a lot younger than you and Rowdy Rebel?” Deep Thinker looked off into space and squinted his eyes in deep thought.

Then he said, “No, he won’t feel lonely. And 4 kids would be FUN. But it’ll cause you lots of stresses. See, this is why I love having these conversations with him. Dying of curiosity, I asked, “What kind of stresses?”

He responded, “Well, the crankiness and throw ups you have when the baby is in your belly.” Oh dear. Don’t hold back now, little sensitive man. Tell me what you really think. Guess I didn’t hide my 6 months of morning sickness as well as I thought I did;(

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Oh my. My first grader has been using the computer more and more. I am not ready for this. Yet I encourage it. We often use it together to find the answers to his questions–you know, things like “What’s a spider web made of, Mom?” So he has seen me do Internet searches many times.

The other day he said he wanted to do an Internet search. So I said, “Sure, what should we search for?” He explained that he, only he, wanted to do an Internet search, and could I leave the room please.

Uuuuuuhhhh, no. But I was so curious about what he wanted to search for and knew there was no way of getting it out of him. So, I left the room. And when the taps on the keyboard stopped, of course, I ran right back in to see what the big secret search was for.

I nearly died with laughter. I am putting a photo of the Internet screen here–click on it to make it larger. I know many of you can decipher the first grade spelling, but for those who can’t, the translation is below.

[Translation: How to draw a butt.]

Filed under: Body Parts, Child Thoughts, Kind of Gross, Uncategorized | 4 Comments »

Today Deep Thinker was feeling very puzzled about how cavemen and cavewomen had babies. Most of this stemmed from our explanation of where babies come from. Deep Thinker keeps pressuring us about this topic, so we told him that basically God gives people babies after they’re married. (This is a pretty standard response, no?)

He became confused and asked, “How did men and women cavemen have babies, Mom? They couldn’t get married.”

This I could handle. But much to my shock, he then added, “They also didn’t know how to KISS. You can’t have babies if you don’t even KISS.”

I frantically tried to remember any new or older friends Deep Thinker has met lately, but none came to mind. So, I asked, “Why do you think they needed to kiss to have babies?”

And he said, “Hello. You have to KISS to get MARRIED, don’t ya? Didn’t YOU kiss DADDY when you and Daddy got married?” And he waved his hands around in the air like this was the dumbest question he’d ever heard in his entire life.

I was quite relieved. Then he added, “Oh yeah, also there were no doctors back then to take the baby out of the Mommy’s belly. That’s ANOTHER problem.”

Yes, I agree. That certainly is another problem. One that I am not ready to solve with Deep Thinker right now. Fortunately for me, the conversation took a turn for a different caveman-related topic.

Filed under: Babies Come from Where?, Kid Theories on Marriage, Questions, Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

I am not doing a lot to promote spirituality and religion at home. I want to do more. But at least each day we say the blessing and express thanks for the things we have and ask for help growing and learning and being better.

We were saying the blessing at dinner two days ago, and Rowdy Rebel asked, “Mommy why do we have to close our eyes?” (He doesn’t understand the blessing concept yet. Always interrupts the blessing with comments and questions. And they take forever to answer. Also, insists on saying his own blessing, so we often end up saying two of them, unless it’s his turn, then we say one.)

So, I told him that when we talk to God, we usually close our eyes.

Then he asked, “Who’s God?” His face was really puzzled but interested. So, I explained that God is kind of like a Daddy, but really big, and he lives in the sky.

Deep Thinker joined in and added, “Yeah, or maybe he lives in our HEARTS.”

Then Rowdy Rebel said (not joking), “Yeah, or maybe…maybe he lives in my EAR.”

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Here are the latest and greatest–they drive me wild. I wish Rowdy Rebel would always pronounce words this way!

1) When he “reads” stories to us, instead of “ONCE upon a time,” he says “ONE upon a time.” (I think I am repeating this one–it’s so sweet, it’s worth repeating just this once;)

2) Not breakfast, but “backfest”

3) Not “helicopter,” but “helly-hop-ter”

Filed under: Child Speech, Uncategorized | 2 Comments »

At dinner tonight, Deep Thinker almost said a bad word. I interrupted just in time, “No! That’s a bad word. We don’t say that, okay?” (Sometimes he still doesn’t know a word is bad–I believe that was the case in this instance.)

So, then he tells us a story: “Hey, my friend Tyler at school has a friend Scott. Guess what word he knows.”

Before I could respond, Deep Thinker blurted out, “He knows the word ‘shut yer yap’! He says it too!”

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Deep Thinker and I were on our way to get Rowdy Rebel from preschool. On the way, we saw a “Do Not Litter” sign outside of a store. So, Deep Thinker read the sign to me slowly, “Do…not…litter.”

Then he explained, “Mom, if a sign says ‘Don’t Litter,’ that means you can’t throw trash there.”

I said, “Yes, that’s true.”

Then he responded, “It means you can’t PEE there either.” Good to know, hu?

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Boy, baby questions are just getting out of hand. Deep Thinker keeps asking where babies come from. At first, I was cleverly dodging the question with vague answers. (He’s only 6. I can’t tell him and have him break this news to his friends in kindergarten. I would be killed by numerous parents not yet ready to delve into the topic.)

One of my very favorite questions though was Rowdy Rebel’s question today. Mind you, he is only 3.5 and has NO idea how babies are born, just that they are located in the belly for a long time. Therefore, the beginning of this question was interesting : “Mommy, when the baby comes out he’s all wet, right?”

I wondered how he knew they were “wet.” I nodded and listened closely to his next words.

He continued, “Mommy, will it hurt when your baby comes out of your mouth?” he he.

Filed under: Babies Come from Where?, Uncategorized | 1 Comment »