The Girl Child, New York's newest lawyer, and I today on whether she was going to take a nap:

GC: Pappa, are you going to take a nap today?

Me: No, but you are.

GC: Why aren't you going to take a nap?

Me: Well, I just got back from the dentist and now I have to run some errands.

GC: If you're not taking a nap, then I'm not taking a nap.

Me: Oh, yes, you are.

GC: No. I do everything you do.

Me: No, you don't. First of all, I pee standing up. You don't pee standing up.

[long pause]

GC: What's second of all?

I was so proud of her just ignoring a point she couldn't refute and trying to move right along to the next point that I just took her with me on my errands. So, in the end, I guess she was right. No nap.

Posted by: Random Penseur at 04:46 PM | Comments (5) | Add Comment
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The Girl Child slides over to me and whispers:

Guess what song I'm humming.

Me: I have no idea.

GC: I'll give you a clue.

Me: Ok. What kind of clue?

GC: I'll sing it [still whispering]. "Dirty deeds, done dirt cheap, dirty deeds, done dirt cheap."

Four year olds have minds like sponges. I feel a little guilty for, at some point, filling her little sponge with AC/DC.

Posted by: Random Penseur at 12:20 PM | Comments (5) | Add Comment
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1 I'm giggling. I'll say it for you... You're in trouble.

Posted by: C at April 18, 2005 12:53 PM (Ds4xI)

2 That might come back to haunt you. Tee hee

Posted by: Kathy at April 18, 2005 02:38 PM (RFVZA)

3 Well, at least you don't listen the 2LiveCrew. Do you?

Posted by: Tuning Spork at April 18, 2005 07:57 PM (8FQK0)

4 When my youngest was a wee lad, he would go around singing "Kyle's Mom's a Bitch." Oops.

Posted by: Margi at April 19, 2005 04:29 PM (lWAiX)

5 Yeah, at this age she should be completing her mastery of Lynyrd Skynyrd. AC/DC shouldn't pop up until she's 6.

Posted by: Jim at April 22, 2005 06:08 AM (MDLz3)

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We had the Girl Child's parent/teacher conference last night. It was, not unexpectedly, a love fest. They had only wonderful things to say about her: clearly very bright; very sweet; highly mature; listens well; nice to others; plays well with everyone; attentive to instructions; and just a joy and a pleasure to have around. They said that if everyone in the class were like her it would be a much easier job.

They told us nothing we didn't already know, of course, but I could still sit for hours and listen to people say nice things about my daughter.

Oh, and they were all totally charmed by the way the Boy Child came into class with the Girl Child every morning and waited to leave until after he and she gave each other hugs and kisses.

There are days I feel so lucky that I am simply waiting for the other shoe to drop.

Posted by: Random Penseur at 10:27 AM | Comments (4) | Add Comment
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1 I remember feeling the same way with Lucy's parent/teacher conferences. All her teachers had nothing but high praise for her. They simply adored her. Then Ray, our boy-child became old enough to go to school. Wow. Suddenly, PT conferences were about as much fun as going to the dentist. "Won't sit still; rather make jokes than follow directions; seems to think school is a big joke". Well, he always did think school was a big joke; he never got over that. Regardless of how we handled it, Ray's eyes were always twinkling trying to figure out a way to disrupt the class. We even met with one teacher who had had both children and she did a double take when she saw it was *us* who were Ray's parents. She even asked if he had the same father! Now, THAT might have been a time for me to blurt out, "FU" but I was more lady-like back then, I suppose. ;-) Hope your BC shares his sister's sweet nature when he hits school. Because dreading the PT conferences is just no fun at all. It's SO much more fun when you can bask in the sunlight of being Model Parents rather than hang your head in shame. *grins*

Posted by: Amber at April 08, 2005 11:13 AM (zQE5D)

2 Glad to hear the the GC is raved about, she seems pretty sweet and smart. My parents stopped going to parent teacher interviews at one point. I think they were tired of hearing "He could be doing so much better, he could be an A student". I was a slackass, underachiever, bad attitude no goodnik. I hope my kid doesn't go down that route... maybe our mediocre income and meagre lifestyle will influence him in a good way. Hopefully.

Posted by: Oorgo at April 08, 2005 11:35 AM (lM0qs)

3 Well of course it was a love fest What a lucky, wonderful family. Glad boy-child is better!

Posted by: Elizabeth at April 08, 2005 02:00 PM (qbefm)

4 The other shoe drops when they become teenagers. ;-)

Posted by: Jim at April 15, 2005 11:39 AM (tyQ8y)

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Since you all asked so nicely and sent such good wishes, I feel compelled to let you know that the Boy Child is just fine. Perhaps it was just a touch of stomach flu, no way to know really. But he's fine and happy and beautiful as ever.

Thanks for all the well wishing!

Posted by: Random Penseur at 10:00 AM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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She was on a roll, last night.

First, the nanny and I were talking and the Girl Child came over and inserted herself into the conversation with this comment:

GC: Nanny is going to have a baby.

N: I am?

GC: Yeah, with her boyfriend.

N: Well, maybe someday, but not now.

Me: Besides, doesn't her boyfriend get a vote in that?

N: Yeah, daddies are very important, you know.

GC: No. They don't get to make decisions. The only ones who make decisions are Presidents and Mammas.

We both laughed but it occurred to me that it was not entirely inaccurate and moreover the President has to act, in some things at least, with the advice and consent of the Senate. The same thing is not really true for the Mamma who rarely acts with the advice and consent of the Pappa.

Then, later last night, I was putting the Girl Child in her bed and we had the following exchange:

GC: I hope that spider doesn't come back out from under my bed.

Me: If he does, don't worry, I'll eat him.

GC: Yuck!

Me: No, they're pretty good if you grill them.

GC: Pappa, you eat the yuckiest things!!!

Me: No, I don't.

GC: Yes, you do. People don't eat bugs. Frogs eat bugs. People eat food. And dessert. And snacks. And lunch and that's it.

There you have it, the four major food groups: Food; Dessert; Snacks; and Lunch.

No word on the spider.

As for the Boy Child last night, it was vomit city. All over his bed, my wife, the stairs, and his pyjamas. It was a long night.

Posted by: Random Penseur at 09:04 AM | Comments (4) | Add Comment
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