Friday, July 20, 2007

The Way Kid's Minds Work

Well, today has been interesting... and it's only a little after noon.

Em's fever is gone, but she woke up with a killer stomach ache. T took Kt to swim lessons and I went with a sick little girl to pick her up. Of course, we were barely out of our neighborhood when she vomited in the convenient bucket we brought along. Fortunately, she felt much better afterward because we had to keep truckin'!

Once she was feeling better, she asked the question that had apparently been on her mind all along:

How old do kids need to be to ride in the front seat?


I told her the first number that came to my head - 13. I sort of figured that was the end of that conversation, and while she felt much better she was still looking a bit ragged.

We made it up to swim lessons, I shot pictures today because Kt was diving like a champ! She had a great lesson and it was difficult getting her out of the pool. She, of course, asked to sit in the front seat when we got back to the car - what is the obsession with the front seat, I wonder? She was none too happy to be relegated to the back seat with her sick sister. First question out of Kt's mouth: Will Em be able to go to Connecticut?

After a nice little chat about how we have no idea who will be going to Connecticut until everyone is better and how we ought to pray that everyone is healthy enough for Camp Lovegren..... we hit the road. Here's how that went:

Kt: So I learned some rescue techniques today with Tricia.

Me: That would be a great summer job someday - being a lifeguard. Don't you think?

Kt: Dad said that now that I'm a preteen I have to get a job. (HUH?)

Me: Well, there are child labor laws, you know. You'll have to wait until you're about 15 to get a job. Of course, you could babysit when you're 13.

Em: AND you can also ride in the front seat when you're 13.

Yup, that was out of nowhere. So that child was obsessing about the front seat for over 30 minutes.... silently.... or the brain of a child can make much faster connections than the brain of a 37 year old. It's likely both of those!

Katie made some snide remark to Em about being sick (I'll spare you the conversation Em had about her vomit - way too descriptive!). Em said this to Kt: Well, could you AT LEAST pray that I get better??? I'm in for it today.

On a lighter note, I have been telling everyone that this year's missions trip, our first together as a family, will probably not be an annual thing. Of course, for years T and I have dreamed of being able to go to Australia. Just this morning, someone we don't even know messaged T about going to Melbourne, which is where we have a college student serving AND where our friends began a Campus Crusade for Christ. On the way home, Kt asked me if we could go on another missions trip anywhere, where would I want to go. I said Australia and Em said, faster than I could have taken a breath, "I need to go there to see some kangaroos." Nice to know that all our prep meetings have prepared our daughter for a life of mission - to animals!!

Kt wants to go to South Africa - probably because when we stayed at the Animal Kingdom Lodge this past February we heard a presentation from a girl from South Africa. Also, that child has been passionate about Africa since she was 5 years old - God is placing something on her heart. I'm just not sure what.

On an even lighter (or heavier?) note, T wanted me to tell everyone that he just taught Kt how to start a car. Just shoot me now!

2 comments:

Leslie said...

I think this was one of my favorite blog posts ever. I could just hear you saying all of it. You're too funny.

I also like that Tony told K she needed to get a job because she was a "pre-teen." Tony the slave driver.

deanna said...

And next, he's going to teach her how to drive to that job. I may need to step in on this one!