Math As Anger Management

Yesterday C told me that when she gets angry she thinks of weird improper fractions and simplifies them in her head and I couldn’t be more proud.

Adding Excitement

C, picking a sticker for her chart: Look at that one!

Me: It says "wow."

C: No! It say "wooOOOOOooooOOOOw!" 'Cause there is an ekchermaiden point.

Life Would Be A Dream

I look at C, who is sitting cross-legged on the bed, her head resting in her hands and elbows on her lap.

Me:  Aw!  Are you sad?
C:  No...I'm just trying to figure out how to get into a reverie.  It's such a pleasant feeling!

(Literature, and Anne of Green Gables, FTW!)

Bizzy as a Bee

C: Momma, can you give me some milk in my cup?
Me: Not right now. I'm busy.
C: Will you give me some when you stop bizzing?

Happy Little Working Song

After church I was practicing a song with a couple of friends when C came in.

C:  Wow, Mom!  You can sing!  I didn’t know you had a nice voice!  I thought you always sounded like, “Go clean your room!”

Little Miss Muffet!

I was working on my iPad with C beside me when my phone rang. As I answered it, I looked toward C to let her know I’d be on the phone. There was something glinting in the light just above her head. As I squinted, I realized that it was a spider descending from the ceiling!

That caller got a whole lot more than he bargained for! I’ve also never been as thankful for an interrupting phone call!

Lists

Homeschooled kid at the end of August, reading a book about a school kid: Wow! That sounds like fun!

Mom: What?

HSKATEOARABAASK: A summer reading list! Can you make me one?

Mom: Well, what have you read this summer?

HSKATEOARABAASK: Oh, there have been so many that I’ve forgotten.

Mom: ...

HSKATEOARABAASK turns back to her book and forgets completely about the question.

Talking With Hands In Your Mouth

 Today we learned that ASL is very useful in the dentist’s office.

Studying The Classics

We were sitting in the sand at the beach when C made a parenting suggestion.

C: So, Momma, I’ve been reading about reverse phisycology.

Me: You mean reverse psychology?

C: Yes! Reverse psychology! I had a thought.

Me: What is it?

C: Well, you really should use reverse psychology on ME!

To my credit, I am now certain that I’ve thoroughly mastered the straight face!

Shhhhhhh!

Difficulties of learning American Sign Language with your daughter:

Me: Please put away your stuff.
C: Okay.
Me: Oh - and can you take these to your sister’s room?
C: Sure.
Me: We’re leaving soon! Find some socks. And don’t forget to brush your hair!
C (in ASL): Mom, didn’t you say that we’d have a Voices-Off day today?

Nap Regrets

Bedtime conversation:

C: Mom, I wish I would have taken more naps when I was younger.

Me: Yeah?

C: Yeah. Because then I would have more built-in energy and stuff now, you know?

Me (thanking God for the first time ever that she skipped all those naps): Well, go to sleep now.

A Matter Of Expression

C: You know that saying, “that’s what they all say?”
Me: Yes.
C: Why does everyone use it? I mean, they don’t ALL say anything.
Me: I hadn’t thought of that.
C: Well, is it okay for a kid to say it?
Me: I don’t know. Sometimes it can sound snarky.
C: What’s that mean?
Me: Well, sometimes people say that just to let the person they’re talking to know that they’re annoyed.
C: That’s what they all say.

She Misses Me!

That time when you find a nice, quiet place outside of the home to work, so your nine year old obligingly sends you 57 audio files she's personally recorded for you.

*****

...and now she's sending me pics of all the things she's not supposed to be doing!  (Don’t worry, folks - they’re silly things like eating her toy food.)

What She Wants To Be

C's latest:  Momma, some boys and girls think their moms are just mean and trying to control them.  I try very hard not to be one of those girls.

My Age Is Showing

Like many kids, C enjoys watching Zoboomafoo and Wild Kratts.  Recently she noticed how much older the Kratt Brothers look in WK, so she asked me to look up how old they are.

Imagine her surprise to learn that Martin Kratt is 52 - same as me!

"Well," she said to me, "I think they should be very happy with their life's work."

Feeling very one-foot-in-the-grave-y today!

Stuffed On St. Patty’s Day

C:  Momma, what animal would represent St. Patrick's Day?
Me:  Uh...probably a snake.

This explains why we are now picking fabric to make a stuffed snake!

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!