Kids Say The Darndest Things

Computer technology can be wonderful and maddening.  This week it's been maddening. In the midst of writing this post my 5 year-old computer gave up the ghost.  Try as I might, I could not get everything working.  Fortunately I have another laptop computer, a donation from my Dad.  It works well if you don't count the fact that the screen is broken.  But, I was able to hook it up to an old desktop screen that I have and now (six days later) I'm back in business.

While I generally write about my journey with my son Matteo, occasionally my daughter Malia says, or does, something that I just have to share.  This was one of those weeks.  My daughter Malia is generally described as a "lovely girl."  And she is.  She can be the sweetest most generous eight-year-old you've ever met.  She has no lack of self-esteem and is confident in her ability to express herself.  This she does often, or more precisely, whenever she is awake.  Malia loves sound and is happy to supply it when it is in deficit, like when I'm sitting quietly with a cup of tea.  She talks, sings, hums, drums, taps and has now taken up playing the violin.  She is a whirlwind of sound and energy.  She also says the darndest things.

Malia is in third-grade, and this week announced that she was selected to be on the student council for her grade.  She was thrilled to be part of the group that decides when "crazy hair day" or "wear your pajamas to school day" will be.  I asked her how they select kids for student council at her school.  This is what she said:

             "Well my teacher picks the two smartest kids in our grade.  But they weren't available, so me and (friend who won't be named) are doing it."

Really?  The two smartest kids weren't available so Malia got it?  How does a mother respond to that?  Now it's true that Malia is not the smartest kid in the grade.  She still struggles with math and it's also true that "being the best" is not her goal.  Still, I was surprised by her frank admission.  In deference to her teacher, I'm sure that she did not put it this way when she picked my daughter for student council.  But still she was very proud of herself so Patrick and I did our best not to laugh.

As I said, Malia still struggles with math.  Her teacher has been working with her and has asked us to  concentrate on her multiplication.  So, every night for the last few weeks we've been going over the multiplication tables.  I thought she was finally getting them memorized.  I was wrong.  Every week they have a test that checks their understanding.  This week Malia said she did really well on the writing.  "Great!" I said.  "How was the math?"  This is what she said:

           "It was good, but I still have to work on my multiplication."          
So I asked her which multiplication tables she still needed some help on.  Her answer:

          "Well, mostly the bigger numbers like 5 to 12.  And the 3's.  I'm good with the 4's."

Ok, so at least she's got the 0's, 1's, 2's and 4's. Only nine more to learn.  (sigh!!)  I suppose honesty is a good thing.

When it comes to boys honesty is a very good thing.  Which leads me to the thing I most did not expect to hear:

         "Mom, (boy who won't be named) gave me this note.  He wants to go on a date!  I said yes."

What?  A date?  This was very unexpected.  So I asked Malia what a date was, given that she's 8.  This is what she said:

         "You know Mom, it's what teenagers do."

I am sure that the image in her mind is vastly different than the image in my mind.  But just to be positive that we were on the same page I informed Malia that she was welcome to go on a "play date" with him to get an ice cream and sit in the plaza with us and his parents.  She then informed me that it was not a date if parents were there.  I informed her that it was not a "date" and parents would always be there.  I am totally not ready for this growing up thing.  Fortunately the talk of "date" disappeared right after Valentines Day.  Thank God, because I am not ready for this growing up thing!

This weekend I am off to a Knitting Convention.  I've never been to one, but I am going with twelve friends from my knitting group and NO CHILDREN!  I am looking forward to a weekend of just being me!