I've had some very funny exchanges with the Girl Child (now 4!) over the last several days and wanted to get them down before I forget them.
Saturday evening, while watching the football game, GC proves that she can get into the mind of the advertising agency who created the Coors Light, "Cold Tasting" campaign. I could not understand what cold tasting was meant to signify, so I wisely asked a better mind, the GC, what she thought "cold tasting" meant. She replied:
Cold tasting? Frosted. Fresh. And yummy.
I suppose she has a future in either beer or advertising. Either way, she's already smarter than I am.
Last night, she became indignant when my wife would not let her do something and this was the interchange:
GC: Pappa, you have to tell Mamma what to do. You're bigger than her and she's smaller than you and she has to listen to you.Me: Really? Is that how it works?
GC: Yes!
Me: Ok. I'll give it a try. Mamma, come here and give me a hug, please. [Hug given] Mamma, now give me a kiss, please. [Kiss given]. You're right, GC, it works!
GC: NO, PAPPA! Tell her to do something FOR REAL! [tone: indignant anger]
Me: Well, GC, it really doesn't work that way. The only reason she did what I asked was because I said please.
GC: [Stunned silence as world order collapses]
Finally, I was putting the finishing touches on some soup last night when the GC told me she had to go. We had the following conversation:
GC: Ok, Pappa, I have to go now. I'm teaching high school inside.Me: What are you teaching?
GC: Cow.
Me: Cow?
GC: Yes, cow. How to milk a cow, how to get milk into the pitcher and then how to pour the milk from the pitcher without spilling it.
Me: This is a good thing to teach at high school?
GC: Yes. It's very important.
I want to go back to high school.
Posted by Random Penseur at January 18, 2005 10:50 AMI want to go back to high school too!!!
I do wonder what goes through their minds when they have conversations like this. I mean, what was she watching/reading/listening to that led to the idea of teaching cow.
Ask her if she wouldn't mind teaching sheep as well. I really prefer sheep to cows.
I love listening to kids. They come up with the greatest gems. And they're so delightfully serious about them!
Posted by: Jim at January 18, 2005 01:49 PMYou cannot beat the wisdom of the Girl Child. As always, thanks for sharing!
Posted by: Wicked H at January 18, 2005 03:16 PMI think GC is on the right track. I'm serious, obviously I don't mean "cow-skills" but really, why *don't* we teach marriage skills, child-rearing skills, how to choose healthy foods, etc., etc., as mandatory subjects in high school? You cannot graduate without passing them. And I don't mean changing diapers and whatnot..I mean, what to do when it's 5am, your 3 month old wants to feed again, one breast has mastitis, the three year old has an ear infection and you've been up all night with him and you have to go to work in three hours.
What kind of stress relief techniques are good in that case? How to set up a support group, whatever. Same for marriage; what to do when you want something from your spouse but you don't want to start a fight. Ways to compromise. Why men react differently from the way women do. Why fast food is bad for you. Etc.
Sorry, you started me on my favorite most recent rant; that high school doesn't prepare people for living with others and being in the Real World.
Btw, this: [Stunned silence as world order collapses] cracked me up big time. Thanks, RP!
Posted by: Amber at January 18, 2005 05:04 PMAs ever the GC made me giggle, I suspect her thoughts have moved on to 'cow' since learning how to pour her own milk at preschool. She has realised it was a useful lesson to learn and is smart enough to want to discover more.
Also there is a book I'd recomend, 'Everything I need to know I learnt in Kindergarten' can't remember the author at the moment but it was all true!
Posted by: Mia at January 19, 2005 05:17 AMRobert Fulghum, and i highly recommend it!!! =)
Posted by: indigo at January 21, 2005 05:56 PM