WTF just happened?
Are your kids (if you have kids) doing the MS Read-a-thon in school (if they're in school)? Because holy crap, are my kids ever doing the MS Read-a-thon. Angus is quite into it but Eve -- she doesn't even know exactly what MS is, but this event, plus the 'contest' her class is in against the class next door to see who can read more -- has brought out shades of competitiveness and determination that were hitherto unsuspected. Okay, I'm lying, I totally suspected. Actually I flat-out knew. Since she was about four days old. Still, it's intense. Her teacher gives them little blue slips of paper that I have to initial and send back -- one for every 30 minutes she reads. And she's six. Thirty minutes is a long time to laboriously sound out words and fit sentences together. In fact, thirty minutes is kind of a long time to listen to someone laboriously sounding out words and fitting sentences together. But what am I going to do -- say that's enough reading for now? Hello, leg that I don't have to stand on.
So yesterday she's getting ready for another marathon session, and she comes to the table with an enormous Robert Munsch compendium. We have two of these -- Angus's French one, from a couple of Christmases ago, and her English one, from this past Christmas. I assumed she knew which one she had, but I guess I was wrong:
Eve: "Okay. I'm ready."
Me: "Okay. I'm listening."
Eve: "On...partage...toot"
Me: "Tout" (thinking -- that's weird -- she knows that word)
Eve: (turning page) "Le premier...hey! Why is this in French?"
Me: "Huh? Because...it's a French book."
Eve: "No it's not!"
Me: "Pretty sure it is. Let me see. Yep. L'univers de Munsch."
Eve: "How did it turn French?"
Me: "It's Angus's. Yours is upstairs."
Eve: "Angus has a Robert Munsch book? Since when?"
Me: "Christmas a couple of years ago. I thought you got his on purpose."
Eve: "Why would I want the FRENCH one?!!!!"
Me: "Um, because you're in French immersion and you read French every day?"
Eve: "No, I wanted mine! Where's mine? I'm going to get mine!"
(stomps away from the table, stomps halfway up the stairs. Pauses. Turns around, comes back downstairs, comes back to the table, opens the book)
Eve: (sweetly and calmly) "Actually I think a French book would be good for me."
Please excuse me from coherent conversation for the rest of the day. I have mental whiplash and I think I need to lie down.
Also, if you haven't read Tabatha Southey's rebuttal to Pat Robertson's claim that Haiti deserved the earthquake because of their alleged deal with the devil, and you feel like having an admiring giggle, you really should.
So yesterday she's getting ready for another marathon session, and she comes to the table with an enormous Robert Munsch compendium. We have two of these -- Angus's French one, from a couple of Christmases ago, and her English one, from this past Christmas. I assumed she knew which one she had, but I guess I was wrong:
Me: "Okay. I'm listening."
Eve: "On...partage...toot"
Me: "Tout" (thinking -- that's weird -- she knows that word)
Eve: (turning page) "Le premier...hey! Why is this in French?"
Me: "Huh? Because...it's a French book."
Eve: "No it's not!"
Me: "Pretty sure it is. Let me see. Yep. L'univers de Munsch."
Eve: "How did it turn French?"
Me: "It's Angus's. Yours is upstairs."
Eve: "Angus has a Robert Munsch book? Since when?"
Me: "Christmas a couple of years ago. I thought you got his on purpose."
Eve: "Why would I want the FRENCH one?!!!!"
Me: "Um, because you're in French immersion and you read French every day?"
Eve: "No, I wanted mine! Where's mine? I'm going to get mine!"
(stomps away from the table, stomps halfway up the stairs. Pauses. Turns around, comes back downstairs, comes back to the table, opens the book)
Eve: (sweetly and calmly) "Actually I think a French book would be good for me."
Please excuse me from coherent conversation for the rest of the day. I have mental whiplash and I think I need to lie down.
Also, if you haven't read Tabatha Southey's rebuttal to Pat Robertson's claim that Haiti deserved the earthquake because of their alleged deal with the devil, and you feel like having an admiring giggle, you really should.
Comments
Now to go read Tabatha...she often makes me snort, too.
Note to self: must develop a more lady-like way of laughing.
I hope that the MS Read-a-thon is successful, and over soon for your sake. My own children are still too young, so we are saved this particular event for at least a couple of years.