Anna's been up to...

She's been asking a whole lot about death. I had mentioned to her that our old cats had died before (Tiny and Omega) when she was a baby and that set it off. I'm trying to be just matter-of-fact-in-a-nice-and-caring tone about it all to calm her a bit.

Mommy, will I die?
Yes, baby, we'll all die.
REALLY? I DON'T WANT TO DIE!
I tell her there's nothing to be afraid of with death, and that everybody dies and she says she's scared to go to Heaven! (In her mind, that's where her teachers say we go when we die, of course. Public school will be so much easier in this respect. No offense to the traditional Believers).

Anyway it seemed to be a topic of conversation for a few days and lately she's lost some interest in it at least.

She hates violent (Disney) movies (and Wizard of Oz freaks her out but she has to watch, like a train wreck). She's becoming pretty sensitive to the children's movies that kill your parents (Disney) or likewise. Oh how I miss Yo Gabba Gabba, when it was almost easier to explain what the hell that Big Red Muno was (I'll stop short of the description). She doesn't like bad guys.

She doesn't like to not be the winner, too. Maybe it's an only child thing, or maybe it's her dad's inhereted competitive nature. We just had a 5k and a children's half mile "race" this weekend and she couldn't believe she was obviously not going to finish first! It's not her first "organized kids' run" but it's the first in a long time, especially since she's become aware of "winning". I told her to look around at ALL of the kids in this race! Only ONE can finish first. If you want to finish first, you have to train and train! Practice! Or else you can be like mommy (and just pray you finish without looking like you're about to puke). I reminded her that REALLY it only matters that she crosses the finish line. In the end that's really it. You can be first if you train and that's your goal, don't get me wrong. Otherwise, what works for me is competing against myself to get better and better. Anyway, she got a metal in the end (all the kids did, where's MINE!?) and that pleased her! As for me, she waited like forever for me to finish my 5k, and ran in the last leg with me over the finish line to help "pull me in". After we crossed she said "Mommy, you didn't win first!" And I told her no way, but I finished, see?! She told Paul while waiting for me that "Mommy's slow!" but then when she saw me coming she shouted that I looked fast :)

Today when I picked her up from school she was in the best mood I've ever seen this kid in her whole life. I mean for real. I wondered just WHAT THE HELL was going on so I could get a daily repeat. I asked what she had for a snack and she said "Goldfish". Noted.

On the drive home she told me she learned about Guatamala (perfect pronounciation by the way!). The child proceeds to tell me every detail about the poor kids in Guatamala who have dirt for floors, only one shirt, no toys (their toys are just playing with bugs), no stairs in their house, and no cats. In addition, they have no bath tub and no door handles! And tiny sidewalks! Detail upon detail as if I was talking to a really big kid, and it was apparent that she learned from her (missionary trip) teacher that Guatamala was in dire straits and it had a real impact on her! Down to where she recalled every detail. WOW. FLOORED WAS I! At the end of the conversation she told me she was going to pray for Guatamala. OK.... I told her that would be a great thing to do. Then she said when she gets bigger she wanted to go there to help them and I told her that I'd go with her.  WOW. Seriously. The details...I wish I recorded that conversation because that was really darned cool.

At any rate, she's getting big. And super smart. And sweet and nuts and all of it! I didn't even document that she had her first school field trip to the hospital on Oct 6, which was really cool (Paul and I both went along)! I have pictures to post but I've been crappy at keeping up because my evenings are consumed with Grocery Station stuff. And I'm also still teaching (which thank goodness has become turn-key for me).

Also, She likes Lady Gaga music.

Good night!