- Evelynn asked "Why are you making breakfast?" Because it's time to eat. "Why is it time to eat?" Because you need to eat. "Why do I need to eat?" Because that's how God made your body. You have to eat. "Why did God make my body that way?" Because He knows best and that was His plan. "Why does He know best?" Because He does.
- Evelynn asked "Why did the crocodile chase Captain Hook?" Because he wanted to eat him. "Why did he want to eat him?" Because he thinks he will taste good. "Why does he taste good?" I don't know. "Why don't you know?" Because I'm not the crocodile. I don't know what he thinks. "Why not?"
- Evelynn asked "Why is McKenna crying?" Because it's naptime. "Why is it naptime?" Because she is tired. "Why is she tired?" Because she has been playing a lot and she's sleepy. "Why has she been playing?" Because that's what kids do. They play. "Why do kids play?" Because they are learning to put things together and learning how to pretend. "Why do we pretend?" Because it's fun. "Why is it fun?" Don't you have fun when you pretend? "Yes, but why do I have fun?" I don't know, why do you have fun?
- Evelynn asked "Why does Caelan play with me?" Because she has fun with you. "Why does she have fun with me?" Because she does. "But why?" Because she loves you. "Why does she love me?" Because she's your sister and she likes you. "Why is she my sister?" Because...
- Evelynn asked "Why do I have to clean up?" Because it's messy. "Why is it messy?" Because you got all your toys out. "Why did I do that?" That's a good question, why?
- Evelynn asked "Why can't I watch a movie?" Because it's bedtime and you need to take a bath. "But I want to watch a movie. Why not?" Because that's not the plan I have for you right now. "Why?" Because the plan is to take a bath and go to bed. "Why do I have to go to bed?" Because it's bed time. "Why is it bedtime?" Because that's what happens at this time every night. You have to go to sleep so you can ask me why again all day tomorrow. "Why do I need to ask you why?" I haven't the faintest idea. "Why don't you know?" I don't know. Why do you always ask why?
- Evelynn asked "Why do I have to get out of the bath tub?" Because it's time to go to bed. "But I have to take care of my dead cow." Huh? I finally get something besides why and now I find myself asking why. After my own series of 'why's' I realize she thinks being dead is asleep and her pretend cow is asleep. She needs to bathe it. Uhuh. Maybe I should have let her watch a movie.
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Why?
I've determined that "Why?" is the only question Evelynn knows how to use. Day after day, most of our conversations run along the lines of "Why?" and after so many why's, I get somewhat annoyed and flabbergasted. Here's a few from today:
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Skeletons, Sticky Eyeballs and Santa Claus
I have always loved the holidays. For me, they begin with my birthday in September and then it continues until at least New Year's. So I am beyond thrilled that my kids love the holidays, too. Halloween was a holiday that was generally not recognized or celebrated in my family growing up, so it has been somewhat of a new experience. I'm not about the creepy things, but my kids are. Things I consider squeamish are fantastic to my kids.
Caelan found a small, dangly skeleton. She held it up, gave it a gentle shake and was delighted to watch its appendages flop about. "It looks like Jack Skellington. It's wonderful!" she exclaimed before running to show Evelynn. Later Caelan saw a sticky eyeball. "That's an eyeball" she said amazed, "Cool!" Evelynn and Caelan were excited to learn that the eyeballs would stick to doors and walls when thrown. Another round of "Cool!" ensued. I now have two eyeballs staring down upon me from the living room ceiling. The first eyeball up there was thrown by my husband and his children were thus inspired. I'm waiting for other eyeballs to follow.
Yesterday, we were at Target (shocker) and the girls excitedly pointed at all the Halloween items now 75% off. Skeletons, spiders, Frankenstein, witches... they thought everything was 'cool.' And then they saw the tinsel and lights, Rudolph and Santa Claus, and heard Jingle Bell Rock. I thought we would never make it out of the Christmas aisles. Not that I minded being there. Forget Halloween-- it's time for Christmas!!
Caelan found a small, dangly skeleton. She held it up, gave it a gentle shake and was delighted to watch its appendages flop about. "It looks like Jack Skellington. It's wonderful!" she exclaimed before running to show Evelynn. Later Caelan saw a sticky eyeball. "That's an eyeball" she said amazed, "Cool!" Evelynn and Caelan were excited to learn that the eyeballs would stick to doors and walls when thrown. Another round of "Cool!" ensued. I now have two eyeballs staring down upon me from the living room ceiling. The first eyeball up there was thrown by my husband and his children were thus inspired. I'm waiting for other eyeballs to follow.
Yesterday, we were at Target (shocker) and the girls excitedly pointed at all the Halloween items now 75% off. Skeletons, spiders, Frankenstein, witches... they thought everything was 'cool.' And then they saw the tinsel and lights, Rudolph and Santa Claus, and heard Jingle Bell Rock. I thought we would never make it out of the Christmas aisles. Not that I minded being there. Forget Halloween-- it's time for Christmas!!
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
"A Map of a Child's Mind" by J.M. Barrie
Mrs. Darling first heard of Peter when she was tidying up her children's minds. It is the nightly custom of every good mother after her children are asleep to rummage in their minds and put things straight for next morning, repacking into their proper places the many articles that have wandered during the day. If you could keep awake (but of course you can't) you would see your own mother doing this, and you would find it very interesting to watch her. It is quite like tidying up drawers. You would see her on her knees, I expect, lingering humorously over some of your contents, wondering where on earth you had picked this thing up, making discoveries sweet and not so sweet, pressing this to her cheek as if it were as nice as a kitten, and hurriedly stowing that out of sight. When you wake in the morning, the naughtiness and evil passions with which you went to bed have been folded up small and placed at the bottom of your mind and on the top, beautifully aired, are spread out your prettier thoughts, ready for you to put on.
I don't know whether you have ever seen a map of a person's mind. Doctors sometimes draw maps of other parts of you, and your own map can become intensely interesting, but catch them trying to draw a map of a child's mind, which is not only confused, but keeps going round all the time. There are zigzag lines on it, just like your temperature on a card, and these are probably roads in the island, for the Neverland is always more or less an island, with astonishing splashes of colour here and there, and coral reefs and rakish-looking craft in the offing, and savages and lonely lairs, and gnomes who are mostly tailors, and caves through which a river runs, and princes with six elder brothers, and a hut fast going to decay, and one very small old lady with a hooked nose. It would be an easy map if that were all, but there is also first day at school, religion, fathers, the round pond, needle-work, murders, hangings, verbs that take the dative, chocolate pudding day, getting into braces, say ninety-nine, three-pence for pulling out your tooth yourself, and so on, and either these are part of the island or they are another map showing through, and it is all rather confusing, especially as nothing will stand still.
Of course the Neverlands vary a good deal. John's, for instance, had a lagoon with flamingoes flying over it at which John was shooting, while Michael, who was very small, had a flamingo with lagoons flying over it. John lived in a boat turned upside down on the sands, Michael in a wigwam, Wendy in a house of leaves deftly sewn together. John had no friends, Michael had friends at night, Wendy had a pet wolf forsaken by its parents, but on the whole the Neverlands have a family resemblance, and if they stood still in a row you could say of them that they have each other's nose, and so forth. On these magic shores children at play are for ever beaching their coracles [simple boat]. We too have been there; we can still hear the sound of the surf, though we shall land no more.
Of all delectable islands the Neverland is the snuggest and most compact, not large and sprawly, you know, with tedious distances between one adventure and another, but nicely crammed. When you play at it by day with the chairs and table-cloth, it is not in the least alarming, but in the two minutes before you go to sleep it becomes very real. That is why there are night-lights.
Occasionally in her travels through her children's minds Mrs. Darling found things she could not understand, and of these quite the most perplexing was the word Peter. She knew of no Peter, and yet he was here and there in John and Michael's minds, while Wendy's began to be scrawled all over with him. The name stood out in bolder letters than any of the other words, and as Mrs. Darling gazed she felt that it had an oddly cocky appearance.
I don't know whether you have ever seen a map of a person's mind. Doctors sometimes draw maps of other parts of you, and your own map can become intensely interesting, but catch them trying to draw a map of a child's mind, which is not only confused, but keeps going round all the time. There are zigzag lines on it, just like your temperature on a card, and these are probably roads in the island, for the Neverland is always more or less an island, with astonishing splashes of colour here and there, and coral reefs and rakish-looking craft in the offing, and savages and lonely lairs, and gnomes who are mostly tailors, and caves through which a river runs, and princes with six elder brothers, and a hut fast going to decay, and one very small old lady with a hooked nose. It would be an easy map if that were all, but there is also first day at school, religion, fathers, the round pond, needle-work, murders, hangings, verbs that take the dative, chocolate pudding day, getting into braces, say ninety-nine, three-pence for pulling out your tooth yourself, and so on, and either these are part of the island or they are another map showing through, and it is all rather confusing, especially as nothing will stand still.
Of course the Neverlands vary a good deal. John's, for instance, had a lagoon with flamingoes flying over it at which John was shooting, while Michael, who was very small, had a flamingo with lagoons flying over it. John lived in a boat turned upside down on the sands, Michael in a wigwam, Wendy in a house of leaves deftly sewn together. John had no friends, Michael had friends at night, Wendy had a pet wolf forsaken by its parents, but on the whole the Neverlands have a family resemblance, and if they stood still in a row you could say of them that they have each other's nose, and so forth. On these magic shores children at play are for ever beaching their coracles [simple boat]. We too have been there; we can still hear the sound of the surf, though we shall land no more.
Of all delectable islands the Neverland is the snuggest and most compact, not large and sprawly, you know, with tedious distances between one adventure and another, but nicely crammed. When you play at it by day with the chairs and table-cloth, it is not in the least alarming, but in the two minutes before you go to sleep it becomes very real. That is why there are night-lights.
Occasionally in her travels through her children's minds Mrs. Darling found things she could not understand, and of these quite the most perplexing was the word Peter. She knew of no Peter, and yet he was here and there in John and Michael's minds, while Wendy's began to be scrawled all over with him. The name stood out in bolder letters than any of the other words, and as Mrs. Darling gazed she felt that it had an oddly cocky appearance.
What is a Girl by Alan Beck
Little girls are the nicest things that can happen to people. They are born with a bit of angel-shine about them, and though it wears thin sometimes, there is always enough left to lasso your heart—even when they are sitting in the mud, or crying temperamental tears, or parading up the street in Mother’s best clothes.
A little girl can be sweeter (and badder) oftener than anyone else in the world. She can jitter around, and stomp, and make funny noises that frazzle your nerves, yet just when you open your mouth, she stands there demure with that special look in her eyes. A girl is Innocence playing in the mud, Beauty standing on its head, and Motherhood dragging a doll by the foot.
God borrows from many creatures to make a little girl. He uses the song of a bird, the squeal of a pig, the stubbornness of a mule, the antics of a monkey, the spryness of a grasshopper, the curiosity of a cat, the speed of a gazelle, the slyness of a fox, the softness of a kitten, and to top it all off He adds the mysterious mind of a woman.
A little girl likes new shoes, party dresses, small animals, first grade, noisemakers, the girl next door, dolls, make-believe, dancing lessons, ice cream, kitchens, coloring books, make-up, cans of water, going visiting, tea parties, and one boy. She doesn’t care so much for visitors, boys in general, large dogs, hand-me-downs, straight chairs, vegetables, snowsuits, or staying in the front yard.
She is loudest when you are thinking, the prettiest when she has provoked you, the busiest at bedtime, the quietest when you want to show her off, and the most flirtatious when she absolutely must not get the best of you again. Who else can cause you more grief, joy, irritation, satisfaction, embarrassment, and genuine delight than this combination of Eve, Salome, and Florence Nightingale.
She can muss up your home, your hair, and your dignity—spend your money, your time, and your patience—and just when your temper is ready to crack, her sunshine peeks through and you’ve lost again. Yes, she is a nerve-wracking nuisance, just a noisy bundle of mischief. But when your dreams tumble down and the world is a mess—when it seems you are pretty much of a fool after all—she can make you a king when she climbs on your knee and whispers, "I love you best of all!"
A little girl can be sweeter (and badder) oftener than anyone else in the world. She can jitter around, and stomp, and make funny noises that frazzle your nerves, yet just when you open your mouth, she stands there demure with that special look in her eyes. A girl is Innocence playing in the mud, Beauty standing on its head, and Motherhood dragging a doll by the foot.
God borrows from many creatures to make a little girl. He uses the song of a bird, the squeal of a pig, the stubbornness of a mule, the antics of a monkey, the spryness of a grasshopper, the curiosity of a cat, the speed of a gazelle, the slyness of a fox, the softness of a kitten, and to top it all off He adds the mysterious mind of a woman.
A little girl likes new shoes, party dresses, small animals, first grade, noisemakers, the girl next door, dolls, make-believe, dancing lessons, ice cream, kitchens, coloring books, make-up, cans of water, going visiting, tea parties, and one boy. She doesn’t care so much for visitors, boys in general, large dogs, hand-me-downs, straight chairs, vegetables, snowsuits, or staying in the front yard.
She is loudest when you are thinking, the prettiest when she has provoked you, the busiest at bedtime, the quietest when you want to show her off, and the most flirtatious when she absolutely must not get the best of you again. Who else can cause you more grief, joy, irritation, satisfaction, embarrassment, and genuine delight than this combination of Eve, Salome, and Florence Nightingale.
She can muss up your home, your hair, and your dignity—spend your money, your time, and your patience—and just when your temper is ready to crack, her sunshine peeks through and you’ve lost again. Yes, she is a nerve-wracking nuisance, just a noisy bundle of mischief. But when your dreams tumble down and the world is a mess—when it seems you are pretty much of a fool after all—she can make you a king when she climbs on your knee and whispers, "I love you best of all!"
Conversations
I absolutely love busy-ness. Life at a faster pace, visitors, parties... but after a month of it, I am so glad to sit here completely content with not having anything to do (other than laundry and general cleaning-- those, unfortunately never go away). Of course in the hectic sometimes chaotic days of fun, things like this blog have been sadly neglected. So I thought I would throw some of my children's sayings out there.
Evelynn: Mom, can I have chocolate? (Me: Not for breakfast) Awww, but I just know there is a golden ticket in there!
Evelynn: One day when McKenna walks, she will do it well. (I have been pleasantly surprised at the correct usage of 'good' and 'well' by Evelynn. Most adults don't even know when to use them).
Caelan: I want to watch a movie (holding a whole stack of DVDs). I want to watch Peter Pan and then after I watch it, I want to watch Ariel, and then after I watch it, I want to watch Tinkerbell, and then after I watch it, I want to watch Heffalump movie and then after I watch it, I want to watch Underdog. Otay?
Evelynn: I want to be the Red Queen for Halloween.
Caelan: No, I want to be the Red Queen.
Evelynn: No, you are Alice.
Caelan: I don't want to be Alice.
Evelynn: I want to be the Bandersnatch.
Caelan: I want to be the Bandersnatch.
Evelynn: No, I am. You can be the White Queen and I can be the Mad Hatter.
Caelan: No, I want to be the Mad Hatter.
Evelynn: No, I am the Mad Hatter. You can be a Tweedle or Alice.
Caelan: I don't want to be a Tweedle or Alice.
Evelynn: All right. You can be the Red Queen.
Caelan: I don't want to be the Red Queen.
Various song lyrics:
Evelynn:
Evelynn: Mom, can I have chocolate? (Me: Not for breakfast) Awww, but I just know there is a golden ticket in there!
Evelynn: One day when McKenna walks, she will do it well. (I have been pleasantly surprised at the correct usage of 'good' and 'well' by Evelynn. Most adults don't even know when to use them).
Caelan: I want to watch a movie (holding a whole stack of DVDs). I want to watch Peter Pan and then after I watch it, I want to watch Ariel, and then after I watch it, I want to watch Tinkerbell, and then after I watch it, I want to watch Heffalump movie and then after I watch it, I want to watch Underdog. Otay?
Evelynn: I want to be the Red Queen for Halloween.
Caelan: No, I want to be the Red Queen.
Evelynn: No, you are Alice.
Caelan: I don't want to be Alice.
Evelynn: I want to be the Bandersnatch.
Caelan: I want to be the Bandersnatch.
Evelynn: No, I am. You can be the White Queen and I can be the Mad Hatter.
Caelan: No, I want to be the Mad Hatter.
Evelynn: No, I am the Mad Hatter. You can be a Tweedle or Alice.
Caelan: I don't want to be a Tweedle or Alice.
Evelynn: All right. You can be the Red Queen.
Caelan: I don't want to be the Red Queen.
Various song lyrics:
Evelynn:
- Hat McDonald had a farm, E I E L O... and on his farm he had a duck, and a cow and a horse...
- It swings and it dies, it jumps all over like a jelly fish, Crazy little thing called love...
- Abcdefghijklmn... po, pqrstuvwxyz.
- Christmas Halloween, Christmas Halloween, Halloween, Halloween... everybody scream.
- e,f,g,h,i... b,i,b,l,e...twinkle twinkle little star... I love you a bushel and a peck... Jesus loves me this I know... (This makes for a really great song of some length for her).
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