It’s a matter of interpretation

As the kids are climbing into a hot car after a hot day, Anjali is grumbling about, well yes, how hot it is.  Then, “Mommy, turn on the bow dwy-yuh, pweese!”

me: “Okay, I’ll turn on the air conditioner.”

Just call me the Rosetta Stone of Anjali-ese.

On turning three, and other ponderous events

Anjali: “Mommy, I’m going to be thuwee, so we can thuwoh away my baby toys, coz [insert nod here] I’m going to be THUWEE.”

Me: “Okay…we’ll just box them up and give them to children who don’t have toys.

Anjali:  “Well…yeah.  Um.  Okay.  We do dat.”

Nik, giving her a big hug: “That’s okay, Anjali.  When we grow up and get married, we’ll have a baby, and then we can give it the baby toys.”

Yeah.

The second man

All of our conversations seem to happen in the car…

Nik: “Mom, can we get in a rocket and blast off to the moon?”

me: “Well…maybe you will, one day.”

Nik: ” There’s nuffink on the moon.  It is empty.”

me: “Actually, there is something on the moon…the American flag.”

Nik: “What?!  Who put it there!?”

me: “The first man who walked on the moon…Neil Armstrong.”

Nik: “Who was the second man?”

me: “I don’t remember…” [I'm so embarrassed...and I used to be such a space nut]

Nik: “He remembers.”

me: “Yes, Nik….I’m sure he does.”

Transformer

Nik: “Mom!  A caterpillar is a worm and then it goes into its house and then it becomes a butterfly!”

Me: “That’s right, Nik…a caterpillar is a worm, and it spends its first few days eating and eating until it becomes really full and fat.  Then it makes a home for itself called a pupa.  It stays there for some time, and then it breaks its home open and when it comes out…”

Nik: “It is a BUTTERFLY!”

Then, “The caterpillar is a TRANSFORMER!”

Wow.  Just…wow.

Prince

On our way home this evening, I told the kids that we should get ready for the rain that’s promised for tomorrow and the rest of the week.  “But,” I said, “that’s okay, because I love rain!”

Anjali: “Me too!  I yuv wain!  I yike puhpul wain!”

I guess you can never be too young for Prince…

Tell me a story

Me: “Tell me a story, Nik.  Once upon a time…”

Nik: “Once upon a time, a witch came by a duck.  Then a good knight came by the house.  The knight was on the chimney and killed the witch into the lake and she died.

Then, the king and the queen were SO happy for the duck.”

Me: “Is that the end?  Is the story over?”

Nik: “No.  Then ANOTHER witch came by and everything went BOOM!”

Love the trick ending.

You look nice

In the midst of rushing about this morning, getting ready for work, Nik, watching me brush my hair, says quietly: “You look nice, mommy.”

And I stop, and look at him, and see him looking at me seriously, no smile on his face, and I smile at him, reach out my hand and say “Thanks, bubba!”

And he smiles and then grins and runs to me and nuzzles into my side.

Then hops away and we are swept up again in the morning rush.

Kindergartern

As I write this, anxious parents are setting up camp outside the library of our elementary school, waiting for kindergarten registration to open tomorrow morning at 7am.  It promises to get down to 30 degrees Farenheit tonight.

I will be warm and cozy, tucked in my bed.

We are not registering Nik for kindergarten this fall.  Even though he will turn five in June, some of his teachers don’t think he will be ready.  They cite social skills, handwriting, mental acuity, etc.  He’s also pretty little (he still only weighs barely 31 pounds, and that’s fully dressed.)

I did however send in applications to two charter montessoris near us.  Charter montessoris are public schools which follow the montessori method of teaching, while adhering to state testing standards.  I call it the best of both worlds.  Montessori, and free.

The only problem is that they accept on a lottery basis, so that is why I registered this year.  If he doesn’t get in this year, I’m not too worried, and I’ll try the lottery again next year.  If he does get in, we will have their kindergarten teachers evaluate him to see if they think he could handle it.

A benefit to the montessori is that the classes are blended, so the KG and 1st grades are in a room together for most of the school day.  This fosters learning from your peers, elders, and also helping your younger mates.  The teachers decide what to teach each child based on what learning they’ve accomplished.  Individualized and one-on-one attention.

The way I see it, Nik is meant for montessori.  He does not do well when forced to learn under timelines.  And KG now is the new first grade.  The requirements are so much more, and he is expected to be able to write sentences within the first few months.  He’s only just begun to show interest in holding a crayon! [ His monster drawings, however, are legend.]

His current school has done wonders for him, and if he has to stay there another year, I’m okay with that.  Especially since it will give him another year with Anju.

So…I’ll be thinking of those parents, waiting to get a spot for their child in the local school.

Thinking how glad I am that I’m not there….yet.

Evaluating friendships

Nik, out of nowhere: “I don’t like A___ anymore, mom.”

Me: “Why not?  I thought you loved to help her and be her friend?” [A__is a special needs child in Nik & Anjali's class]

Nik: “No, mom.  She’s mad.”

then… “All the kids think she’s mad and she pulls our hair.  And Ms. D__ makes her sit in the chair when she pulls our hair.”

[And this is the little girl who, in her own way, really likes Nik.  We had a playdate together a while back and the kids got along really well.  Nik watches out for her during field trips, holding her hand, making sure she has somewhere to sit, sits next to her at lunch...I love to see how caring he is.  So, to hear this from him made me really sad, and I had to think for a minute how to respond.]

Me: “She doesn’t mean to hurt anyone.  She just likes to touch your hair.  And A__’s mom and dad think you do such a good job being A___’s friend, Nik.  Remember how they said that to you?”

Nik: “Yeah.  But they love A___.  I love YOU!”

Me: “They love the fact that you are nice to their daughter and that you are her friend.”

Nik: “Yeah.”

Me: “Will you be her friend again, and take care of her when other kids are mean to her?”

Nik, after thinking for a bit: “Yes.”

Anjali: “Me too!  I be A___’s friend too!  I yike A___!”

A gang of two

Me: What did you two do in school today?

Anju: Nufink?  I just payed.  I payed with me babies.

Me: Did you do a job for your teacher?

Anju: Yes!  I did a tea job, and…

Nik: I did a FISHING job!

Anju: …and I payed paydoh.  I toed S___ there is no woom foh him at the paydoh table.  Onie woom for my bwuther.

Nik: Only brothers and sisters can do playdoh at the table.  No one else!

Me: Was there really no room at the table or were you both being mean to S___?

Anju: Ummm…no WOOOM!

Nik: He didn’t know the rules!  Only brothers and sisters!

I knew I made the right decision to have them at the same preschool when I went back to work.

.

.

.

…right?

P.S.     S___’s mom was picking him up from school when I got there this evening.  She was just so taken with Anju, kept saying how she was already talking!  And so smart!  And how much S___ liked her!  And how S___couldn’t stop talking about his new friend Anjali.

Unh-huh.

That’s right, S___.  Just get in line.  It starts over there, by the door.