Friday, September 30, 2011

Wisdom from the Front Line

It's school holidays.
Which means instead of the mad rush to be out of bed, dressed (apparently I'm not to do the school run in my PJs and slippers!), breakfasted, with bags and lunches packed and out the door by 8am; we get to slowly spread Cheerios across the lounge, slop milk on ALL the kitchen benches, sit on the stairwell to munch toast (so both TVs are in viewing range and you can watch 2 programs at once - my kids are high tech I tell you!) and regularly run up to Mum's room to tell on one of your siblings for some minor infraction of the rules whilst simultaneously breaking about three or four of them yourself.
(Actually this is a bit fun for me - I lie in bed and wait for the next installment and they do not fail me. Every morning at least one child comes in to dob on a sibling for "eating/drinking on the carpet". To get to my room they have to cross said carpet. And they always ALWAYS arrive with a bowl of cereal or a drink of juice in hand. The fun is in lying there patiently and silently and listening to how abhorent their sibling's behaviour and blatant disregard for the rules is, and just waiting for that lightbulb moment when they look down at their own hand and remember the bowl/cup/plate there!)

Anyway, it's holidays. Hour upon glorious hour of drawing, cutting, pasting, play dough, bickering, quarrelling, arguing, throwing things, stealing paper from the printer because Mum surely won't notice we took another three hundreds pieces, drew on them and then put them back, eating anything and everything there is in the cupboard not because we're hungry but because it's there ..... you get the idea.

But I do love that every time we spend a few days together, I learn something new about my delightful offspring. Some quality time is a fantastic way to discover something about each of them, and they never fail to disappoint.

Here's a couple of today's gems, where I just listen quietly and try not to laugh too loudly until they've finished the discussion and left the room. (and then I run off and post it on the internet!)


The Rabbit knows all about childbirth apparently. I did post some time ago about the indepth discussion we had about how Boombah got into my tummy, and how badly that conversation went.
He has not mentioned it since. Not throughout the entire next pregnancy or subsequent 10 months of having another new baby in the house. Not a word. Not a squeak.
I figured I had suitably traumatised him well into his teens, and I'd not need to field any more baby related questions or explanations until about 2017.
Today he told me all about when a baby is born and a doctor immediately smacks it on the back or bottom. Because it's naughty to come out of there and hurt its mother doing so, so the doctor smacks it to make sure it doesn't do it again!


The Honey Girl sang me a beautiful song today. It was one she has learnt at school and sung at Assembly for the other grades to hear. She sings with expression and emotion, and loves to add some hand actions in when possible as well.
Today she sang "I'm Gonna Clap My Hands". And with much feeling and spiritual conviction she belted out that "You are the best friend, that I could ever know.
I lift my hands to You cos you died for me upon a cross.
You took away my THINGS and SHARED 'EM" ......

I thought maybe she meant "sin and shame" - but no, she assured me - Jesus takes away your things and shares them around with others if you're naughty. And off she wandered, continuing to sing about Jesus taking away her things and sharing 'em!

And then she told me that it was rude to stick up your middle finger. Like this. But God could do it because God can do anything. And He'd do it. Like this.


Did I mention we send this delightful child to a private and very Christian-based, Bible-focussed school?!! I do think I might take a peek at the curriculum again - what are those school fees being spent on?!!

1 comment:

Me said...

*LOL*

Your daughter saying that is adorable. Out of the mouths of babes, eh?