During the winter, we occasionally came across dead ladybugs. Each one was buried with due reverence in the flowerpot containing my little mango tree (which obediently died too eventually). A paper gravestone erected by Daddy still stands solemnly over the gravesite, "The death of Asha the ladybug. She will be missed." (I asked Anaya about names--apparently all of them were collectively named Asha.) Given the care each dead ladybug was given, I ascertained the live one I found this afternoon would be popular. "Hey, look, you guys," I called to the kids. "Here's a ladybug."
Three pairs of little feet thundered into the room, accompanied by squeals. I picked up the hapless beetle and handed it over to Anaya, who promised the boys they would have their turns soon too. "Hey ladybug," she shouted, "I'm gonna take you to see all of your friends." She paused. "They're dead."
Anaya dashed up to me a few minutes later holding a Play-Doh container. "Mommy!" she burst out. "I put the ladybug in here! And I put all the dead ladybugs in too. (Help us all--my daughter's a grave robber now.) Then when the ladybug tries to relate to the others, it will find out that they're dead. Then it will go back and tell all the other ladybugs, and then we will have thousands of ladybugs in our house!" She looked at me triumphantly. "Isn't that great?!"
It was useless to ask how it would tell all the other ladybugs, or point out that ladybugs don't actually relate in quite that way--not to mention that I don't really want thousands of ladybugs underfoot. (I know, I tried--why do I bother?) Soon she was exclaiming in delight that she had helped the poor bug "relate" to at least one of the dead ladybugs. She was confident this meant it would understand death and go advise the living about the realities of eternal sleep.
Apparently it soon tired of its "friends," as I overheard her passing out the recently exhumed bodies a few minutes ago. "Here's a dead ladybug for you, Skyler," she said, placing one in his damp little palm, "and I'll keep one for me."
Monday, March 29, 2010
The rich man
Skyler dashed to me with a coin jar today. "I have some yots of money in here!" he crowed. "Now I'm wich!"
Time travel
This morning I was snuggling with Seth. "I'm gonna squish you down so tiny you will be 2!" I told him, squeezing him.
"Squish me until I'm 3," he giggled.
"Why do you want to be 3?" I asked.
"Because then I can suck my thumb!"
"Squish me until I'm 3," he giggled.
"Why do you want to be 3?" I asked.
"Because then I can suck my thumb!"
Monday, March 1, 2010
Puppy love (or dogged pursuit)?
My daughter, at age 6, has fallen for her first crush. I think it's her father's fault--he was already two-timing on his girlfriends at 6. I, on the other hand, had much more sense and waited until 8 before I fell in love.
Anaya didn't leave us to do much guesswork. Early the morning her chosen suitor was coming over to visit, she confided to me, "Mommy, you know how Zane is rough sometimes? Well, I'm going to help him change. I'm going to dress really beautiful today, like a queen! Then he will want to be nice!" Soon she pranced out of her room in a long pink skirt. The mere mention that her hair didn't look like a queen's sent her scurrying to the bathroom to brush it. (This could be contrasted with her typical attitude, demonstrated a couple of days before when Saralyn asked to brush her hair and Anaya protested, "No, I just want it to be the way Jesus made it.")
We were headed to a women's Bible study, and without enough room for all of the children in my car, I had my friend Lindsey pick up Anaya. Anaya's friend Aile, also age 6, was sitting in the back when Anaya clambered in. Lindsey later filled me in on the details of their conversation.
"Aile," Anaya announced, "we are gonna change the world! First we'll change states, then countries. We need to change the way boys are, and make them nice and kind."
Aile was game to join in the fun, so they began naming friends who could help them. Aile suggested, "I know a boy..."
"I don't think that is going to work," Anaya cut her off.
"But he's a nice boy," Aile pointed out. "And what about Zane?"
Anaya threw her hands in the air. "That's the whole reason we are doing this!"
Anaya didn't leave us to do much guesswork. Early the morning her chosen suitor was coming over to visit, she confided to me, "Mommy, you know how Zane is rough sometimes? Well, I'm going to help him change. I'm going to dress really beautiful today, like a queen! Then he will want to be nice!" Soon she pranced out of her room in a long pink skirt. The mere mention that her hair didn't look like a queen's sent her scurrying to the bathroom to brush it. (This could be contrasted with her typical attitude, demonstrated a couple of days before when Saralyn asked to brush her hair and Anaya protested, "No, I just want it to be the way Jesus made it.")
We were headed to a women's Bible study, and without enough room for all of the children in my car, I had my friend Lindsey pick up Anaya. Anaya's friend Aile, also age 6, was sitting in the back when Anaya clambered in. Lindsey later filled me in on the details of their conversation.
"Aile," Anaya announced, "we are gonna change the world! First we'll change states, then countries. We need to change the way boys are, and make them nice and kind."
Aile was game to join in the fun, so they began naming friends who could help them. Aile suggested, "I know a boy..."
"I don't think that is going to work," Anaya cut her off.
"But he's a nice boy," Aile pointed out. "And what about Zane?"
Anaya threw her hands in the air. "That's the whole reason we are doing this!"
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