A Day In My House

One day last week, after eating his dinner successfully (not always assumed), Josh asked for a special treat. I offered him the last part of a Hershey’s bar, about 6 squares. He took it excitedly and sat down to eat it.

While enjoying his treat, he asked, “Mom, what does rich mean?”

Thinking he surely was referring to food, I explained it meant “strong taste.” Met with a confused look, I followed up, “Or do you mean rich that has to do with money.” Without waiting for him to answer, I explained that rich means you have a lot of money. But that in regards to food, it means strong taste.” I then questioned which one he was asking about.

“Money,” he replied, still enjoying his chocolate treat.

Befuddled at both myself for assuming he meant food, and him for questioning such a word while eating chocolate, I dismissed it as just another means for him to figure out his world. But, secretly, I’m wondering what it is he wishes he was rich enough to buy.

Josh is attending an art class this week two hours each day. When I pick him up, I am anxious to hear of the projects he’s worked on.

If you’ll bear with me repeating from a couple of days ago, on day 1, this is what I got out of him: Of two projects they started, one he doesn’t know what it is going to be and the other is something we already have one of, so we will have two, but it is a secret. Later, at dinner, he revealed it is a gumball machine.

The one thing he didn’t know what it was, he described as 4 small things (canvases) which he painted blue.

The next day he told me they took stuff that had a lot of holes in it and dipped it in white, very messy stuff. He exaggerated as to how messy it was. I knew from Andrew having taken a class at this same place, that Josh was probably speaking of gauze (has lots of holes) and some sort of paper mache project. When I asked him what he was making with that, he told me he didn’t know. (Since Andrew made a bird this way, we assumed it was some sort of animal.)

Yesterday, I walked Josh into his class and saw a couple of kids already at work on painting a large canvas at their seats. When I picked Josh up, I asked him about that and what it was going to be. He said it was something for their “animals” (paper mache project) to live in with lots of colors and stuff. He also commented that I’m going to like the 4 things (4 little canvases he started on day 1). Intrigued, I asked what the 4 canvases were. He said he didn’t know.

His only other comment was that the gumball machine is “very fragile”.

My frustrations over his inability to describe what projects he’s doing spans multiple levels. Does he truly not know what the end result is going to be? Was he not listening when the teacher told them? Or (as my husband commented) in comparison to the gumball machine, does he just not care?

Is he trying to be secretive so he can surprise me? (doubtful)

Is this a foreshadowing of things to come in two months when he starts kindergarten? (probable)

8:33 a.m. I’m done with breakfast and dishes. I slept late (for me) until 7:40. Just couldn’t pull myself out of bed on this, the first day without appointments or places to be in the a.m. in a week and a half.

Josh, mind you, is still asleep.

Speaking of Josh and (a few posts ago) his ability to catch me off guard with his questions or statements, yesterday, he did it again.

He was sitting behind me in the office while I was typing away at the computer, no doubt checking facebook, when he, out of the blue, questions my knowledge on this:

“Mom, do fish have parents like we do?”

(Footsteps. I hear footsteps. Josh is up!)

My answer, as un-fish-expert as it was, was something like this. “Yes, they do, but not like we do. They pretty much can take care of themselves after they are born.”

So the question we all are wondering is why was he thinking about this? Is he pondering getting a pet fish and hesitant to take a fish son or daughter away form his/her parents?

As luck would have it, our dinner last night was grilled mahi-mahi. No telling where that conversation in his head went with that.

Josh never ceases to surprise me. Stun me. And sometimes, render me speechless. This week, it was with a question:

Mom, who’s your great grand superhero?

I “heard” this question as “Mom, who’s your favorite superhero?” Not having a favorite, but wanting to be engaged in conversation with him even if it was something I’m not really interested in, I answered. “Well, I suppose Superman is my favorite super hero. Who is yours?”

His reply was, “Well, my great grand superhero is God.”

My thoughts, “Oh. Can I change my answer?”

My answer, “Oh, well, sure he’s above all super heroes. He’s my favorite too!”

Josh, when passing any item in stores which was advertised on TV, announces with enthusiasm, “I saw this on TV!”

We frequently have to double-back to a shelf where he can show me this treasure. He is so excited to actually see something he saw on TV, it’s like he’s seen a TV celebrity.

Mother’s Day sentiments from Josh:

“Mom, you are the best mom in the whole world!”

…soon to be followed with…

“Mom, you are the best mom I’ve ever had!”

We visited my husband’s family in northern Ohio for Mother’s day. Traveling home and getting back into the school routine has proven challenging for a couple of us this morning. In spite of a 10 pm bedtime, I still hit the snooze for twenty minutes.

And Andrew seemed to get started alright, but his emotions kicked in over a routine task showing he truly didn’t get enough rest.

As for Josh? Still to be determined. I woke him up, and he’s enjoying his ritual of sitting in the bed until he’s ready to face the day. This sometimes takes 30 minutes. But after mine and Andrew’s slow start, I’m giving him his space.

Enjoy your Monday and all that the day brings.

Yesterday, Josh was observing the box for a new hair dryer which I bought. On the box were pictures of a lady with dark brown hair, styled 3 different ways – curly, wavy and straight. The photos showed how you can use the hair dryer to achieve each of these styles.

Josh pointed to the lady with long, straight hair (again, dark brown), and commented, “Mom, if your hair looked like this, I would like it!”

Later, after hearing this story husband commented that he knows what he likes and he must be a “brunette man”.

I should note my hair is a medium brown shade with red (and gray) highlights, naturally. I have it colored to a lighter shade with more blond highlights, currently. Also, it is cut to just above my shoulders.

I wasn’t sure if I should take Josh’s comment as indication that he doesn’t like my current style and color or not.

Again, my five-year-old leaves me stumped.

In case yesterday’s quotes weren’t enough for you, here’s one more. Below is a conversation we had yesterday. I was at the table working on a grocery list while Josh was within ear shot washing his hands in the bathroom.

Josh: Mom, if you ever tried soap, I want you to know, it would taste sour.

Me: How do you know?

Josh: Because I tried doing that before.

Me: You tried soap?!

• Hospitals can’t fix dead.
• If you eat a paper napkin you would die.
• He prefers to say “yes” as “yase” (long a)
• Wouldn’t it be cool if a shark got eaten by another shark!
• Here in Ohio, we don’t have many rainbows. (as he colored a picture of a Leprechaun)
• Josh to Andrew: Princesses live at the very top of the castle. Did you know that?