Conversations (mostly about Christmas trees)

Big, Bigger, Enormous

Edith and I are walking around town. We arrive at the giant decorated fir tree in Palmer Square.

E: Chi-mus tee! Beeg!

We pass a series of bonzai-type trees in box planters along the sidewalk, each decorated with bows and white lights.

E: Chi-mus tee. Lidduh.

We pass an ordinary unlit evergreen bush in front of a house.

E: Chi-mus tee. All done.

***

"But All the Other Kids Are Allowed To..."

We were at the public library, climbing the stairs to the children's floor. Edith was excited and started to yell.

G: Shhhh. Speak quietly.

E: (putting a finger to her lips) Hushhhh.

G: That's right.

Then she got excited again and recommenced yelling.

G: Shhh. You need to speak quietly in the library. There are people reading here.

E: (looking out over the tables of people) Weading.

G: That's right.

E: Hushhhh.

G: Yes.

We arrived at the children's floor and open the door. Three pre-teens were crowded around a computer monitor squealing, punching each other, and laughing loudly at something on the screen. Edith turned to me with a look of protest on her face.

E: Weading! Mommy! Weading!

***

A Cause Near to Her Heart

Edith is becoming known for pointing all the parents of members of her class toward their kids as they arrive for pickup. As we're headed out the door, she'll stop and tell any parents she sees, "Josh!" or "Zeke!" as she points back in the direction of their kid. She is adamant about it, repeating the kid's name until the parent heads off in that direction to collect his or her offspring. She's her own No Child Left Behind campaign.

***

Better than a Doll Stroller

Sunday morning we told Edith that her visiting relatives were going to come home with us from church so she could show them her Christmas tree.

When we got home, Harrison was getting out of his car with his dad at the same time.

"Go say hi to Harrison," I suggested. Harrison was running toward her shouting a happy greeting. Edith started to run toward him as she normally would, then suddenly looked panicked and shouted, No!" She turned and started running the other way, then turned back, and shouted, "No! Mine!" She wasn't holding anything. I realized she must be talking about the tree. She didn't want to let anyone else horn in on her opportunity to show it to her relatives. So she thought she better steer Harrison in the right direction. She ran up the sidewalk to his front door, patted the stoop, and turned to him shouting, "Harry! Harry!" Then she pointed to our stoop, "Mine!" Having satisfied herself that poor Harry was on his way to his own front door, she ran home to greet her guests.

***

I Know that Voice...

Edith is getting awfully good at mimicking. This morning Tom got up and dressed and fed her while I took a shower. When I got out, Tom was just crawling back under the covers.

Honey!" I exclaimed. "You're not planning to go back to bed, are you?"

Before he could answer, a little voice from the edge of the bed piped up in exactly the same cadence, "Honey!" Then she grabbed her father's hands and commanded, "Up! Honey!"

***

Say that Again?

We were walking home from daycare. We passed an apartment with a tree in the front window covered in white lights.

E: "Chi-mus tee."

We passed an apartment building decorated with multi-colored lights.

E: "Chi-mus."

We got to our apartment building, decorated with blue and white lights.

E: "Jewish."

Huh?

I know they learn about non-Christian holidays at school, but surely my kid isn't yet hip to the color codes imposed on holidays by consumer culture? I'm going to assume she was asking for juice...or something. She doesn't ever ask for juice on arriving home. Maybe I simply should have told her that I don't think many people string lights on their house for Chanukah...