Strange Little Man/Etc.

Big Girl has had her first staring role in a play at school. Before you think I'm bragging too much, I will just inform you that no parents were invited to this performance, line memorization wasn't required, and even the invited 5th grade classes took a pass. The class performed 3 separate plays for themselves and the 2 first grade teachers. Still she couldn't have been more thrilled with her role as 'Strangle Little Man' in the 4 page skit called Rumplestilskin. She was quick to point out to me that the strange little man was indeed Rumplestilskin making her the star! She couldn't have lost that front tooth at a more appropriate time. The stranger the better right!? I didn't see the skit but heard it went well. I have been having fun calling her 'Strange Little Man' all week. What I love about it is that she relishes the idea of being a strange little man. I think that shows character and will open up all kinds of doors to her in the future.

Speaking of strange (and some of you may want to stop reading at this point), my 3 year old walked in on me in the bathroom two days ago and asked me what kind of private parts I had. More to the point, she asked if I had a penis. There, it's out there. I have been asked this before by my young children at this point in their lives and I find it helpful not to bust up laughing (that is, until you are around the dinner table with the rest of the family). I just told her "no, only boys have those and seeing as I am a girl I got none." She then went about her business, satisfied with my answer. I feel a bit like explaining that a vagina is just as good as a penis if not better. I mean, why do they wonder with sadness why I don't have that specific part? It seems like a very sexist world from a very early age. Why does it bug me? Not sure. Maybe a conversation for another day though. Maybe a conversation for me and a therapist some day.

On to another random thing: My kids with the ADD are seriously funny. Does funny go along with attention problems? Is it a coping mechanism for the sadness of not being able to walk into a room without forgetting what you went in there for (EVERY TIME!), I forget-therefore I make up something funny. My 1sr and 3rd boys have a touch of the ADD and they really crack me up. Of coarse nothing funny is coming to mind right now. Just trust me.

Funny unrelated story about Little Boy. When he was about 4 years old he had a fascination with the Spanish language. He'd ask me while running errands how to say different things in Spanish. I'd make things up by just adding and El at the beginning of a word and an O at the end. Example: car is 'elcaro'... Works for me and my preschooler! So we are at the post office, and I ask him if when he grows up if he would like to take Spanish in school. He says "not when I get big, but when I get black" What the? I suddenly realize that he associates people who speak Spanish as those with darker skin. So when his skin changes he'll be fluent in Spanish. Logical. I inform him that his skin color isn't changing, but he can still learn Spanish. Then he gets all disgusted with the situation and just as an African American lady passes by within earshot in the parking lot he says in his loudest voice "You mean I am always gonna have this face and this hair?!" Like that is the worst curse ever. (He has red hair).

He's now 11 and his face and hair have not changed too much. He does have a girl at school with a major crush on him though (as evidenced by a pine-cone message on our lawn last weekend) so I think he's doing okay with the look he has going on.