Honesty Is Not Always The Best Policy

C is finishing up the thank you cards from her birthday presents.  A few people gave her money, so she wrote, "Thank you for the wonderful card full of blessings!" inside.  I was a little proud of her clever choice of wording there.

Then it was time to write a card to two little boys, who had also given money.  Apparently she thought her former words were too flowery.  In this one she decided to write, "Thank you for the wonderful present.  I love cash!"

Fortunately, she loudly announces everything she writes, so I was able to stop her.

When You’re REALLY Old

 C:  What does deteriorate mean?

Me:  To wear down slowly over time.

C:  Oh...so like when I can't run as fast as I did when I was 6 or 7?

Me:  Hah!  No!  Much older than that!

C:  Oh!  Like 15 or 16, then!

Truly Happy

 C, who gets a Happy Meal from McDonald's every month or so, is SUPER EXCITED.

Why?

Because the company prints the next toy to be released on the bottom of the Happy Meal boxes.  The next toy will be

BOOKS!!!!!!!!

Plan B

C is having a birthday in a few days. We have a longstanding tradition of letting the birthday kid pick whatever cereal they want. C particularly likes Double Chocolate Krave. As we walked into the store, we had this conversation:

C: What if they don't have any Krave? Oh, I know! I'll get Froot Loops!

Me: It's always good to have a back-up plan!

C: What if there aren't any Froot Loops?

Me: Then you can get Cocoa Puffs.

C: And what if there are no Cocoa Puffs? Maybe Cocoa Pebbles?

Me: Sounds good to me!

C: And what if they got rid of all the fun cereals and there is absolutely nothing left?

Me: Then we'll sit down in the middle of the cereal aisle and cry until they bring us some.

C: It's always good to have a back-up plan!

Hieroglyphics?

As we were driving in the car, C picked up a piece of paper that she'd made a list on.

"Wow!  One day a few years from now, I'm going to look at this piece of paper and think how much my writing has improved!"

What an optimistic way to talk about messy handwriting!

Tangled Belle

I asked C several times to brush her hair, but she didn't.  We were just running some non-public errands, though, so I let her get in the car as she was.  As we drove, she began her usual conversation.

C:  Are we going anywhere after we drop H off?

Me:  Just to church to pick up a few things.  Then we'll go straight home.

C:  That's it?  Nowhere else?

Me:  Nope.  You want adventure in the great, wide somewhere?

C, sighing:  Always.  (Singing) I want much more than this provincial life!

<Pause for thought>

C:  It's because my hair is a crazy mess, isn't it?

F-U-N T-I-M-E-S

C is on a spelling kick, and now only talks by spelling every word.

In related news, I have discovered that my attention span is about as long as...what were we talking about?

When School Ends

Today was the first day that J and C didn't have their co-op classes.  J had a lot of other work to do, but C had nothing in particular.

She spent about an hour and a half making pretend meals using construction paper, scissors, and glue. After she cleaned up her mess, she decided to write a story.  She used the word processor on my iPad, and took nearly two hours to write it.  Then she helped straighten the living room in case J's friend was able to come over (turned out that he couldn't, though).

In many ways, she's much harder to parent than either of her siblings were at her age (7 1/2).  But neither of them would have had the drive to start such extended projects and see them through to completion.

Oh - and we had nachos for dinner.  She doesn't care for them, so I warmed up some leftover meatballs.  Feeling grateful, she decided to give me a compliment.  "Momma, you're kind of pretty!  And I hardly notice those grey hairs - or the other old-people things about you - I hardly notice them at all!"

All in all, it was a good day.

*******

Her story:

Here is her story:

My dog [fiction story]

It was a sunny morning at 8:00. Everything seemed right.  But there was one problem.

My dog was wailing, I am hungry!!!  It was his feeding time. He was frustrated since his food was taking a very long time.  But I  was doing my chores . Then I decided to have a spot of tea and play a game with my brother. After a while I realized I should go and check on my dog. When I reached his doghouse, he was wailing , arooww! When I looked in his food and water dish I knew I should have fed him at 8:00.

So I say very softly , don't worry boy. But as soon as I get in I forget. Then I remember. I quickly sprint outside, grab his food and water dish, fill them up with puppy chow, and bring them outside.

When I get outside, my dog licks my face.  Then he eats his puppy chow right down.
The end.

Saying Goodbye

C: Mom, should I buy this little stuffed animal? I've wanted it for a very long time, and it's only $5!

Me: Well, I don't think you should. You have so many stuffed animals already that this one will probably just be forgotten in a few days.

C: But I have the money with me.

Me: Well, but later you might find something else that you want more.

C: I guess so. (Returns stuffed animal to rack, then returns.). Mom, I don't like putting stuffed animals back on the rack.

Me: It's hard.

C: Yes! Plus they look at you with such frustration and shame when you do it!

That Nagging Feeling

If I am running the carpet machine, and I'm on a deadline, and someone interrupts me repeatedly with requests for things that can easily wait, and I've stopped the machine and respectfully answered all the questions and followed with polite requests to not be interrupted, then when that person comes back, is it rude to say, "I'm asking politely that you let me finish my job, but what I mean is, 'don't interrupt unless the house is on fire?'"

Asking for a friend...

Instructions For Life

C is playing with her stuffed animals. She has the sturdy box that my Instant Pot came in, and she's arranged her favorite animals a number of times so they fit just right and can be accessed in order of importance. After she's found the best method, she turns to me.

"Momma, can I make a YouTube tutorial on how to put your 10 best friends in a box?"

Ahead of Her Time

Irony: Your seven year old saying, with great disdain, "I can do without the sarcasm."

Condensed Thoughts

C enjoys playing around on Khan Academy.  She doesn't limit herself to second grade math, however.  Sometimes I find her learning about biology or history.

Today I was again trying to help her understand why certain types of behavior are undesirable.  The discussion was lengthier than either of us wanted.  At the end, she said,

"So what you're saying, but NOT in expanded notation, is that I shouldn't do that any more.  Right?"

Note to self:  No more talking in expanded notation.

Learning From the Past

Teaching your 7 year old about America in the mid- to late-1800s is a dangerous thing.

Last week:
Me:  I asked you to straighten up the living room.  Why didn't you?
C:  I won't.  That's slavery.  Slavery is wrong.  You just want to use me for your own benefit.  I won't do it!

This week:
Me:  Maybe one day you'll have a child like you, and then you'll understand a little better what I'm trying to do.
C:  Everyone has their own personality.  Florence Nightingale probably had brothers and sisters, but you never hear about THEM, do you?  Because they're all different.  Harriet Tubman had brothers and sisters, but they were all different!  So you only hear about Harriet Tubman.  My kids will have DIFFERENT personalities!

At least it's fairly logical...

Green-Eyed Monster Love

C says I'm the best mom in the whole universe, but not to tell anyone else.

Me:  Can I tell my friends on Facebook?
C:  No!
Me:  Why not?
C:  They might get jealous.
Me:  True.
C:  All right!!  :)

The Brightest Pupil Ever

Me:  One of these days this is going to KILL me!

C (with a look of alarm):  Kill you?!

Me:  Oh, that's just an exaggeration.

C:  Well, I understand exaggeration.  You've been teaching me about it for 200 years now.