a.m. conversation

Edith looks at a black box sitting next to the piano and frowns. "Mommy, I think this yours, but I not quite sure."

Quite?

"Edith it's time to go to school."
"No, I still cooking."
"Edith, I'm going to count to ten, and then you have to be done cooking."
"Okay, I give you some." Hands me pretend food.
"Mmmm...it's good. What is it?"
"A pink and plump and perfect cake."

A reference to Seven Silly Eaters. At the risk of being a bragging mama, I confess that I am utterly amazed these days by Edith's memory for songs and books. I don't know how many she has stored away in there, but it has become clear that when she asks us to read a book several times in a row, it's not just because she's enjoying it--it's because she's memorizing it. So, for example, on our walk to school I pointed out a father and son going to school ahead of us.

"Conrad and Harrison," she said.
"No, I don't think that's Harrison. I think that's the new baby." That triggered a Seven Silly Eaters association for me and I continued, "'Another baby, sweet and new.' Which one is that?" I asked Edith, genuinely trying to remember which of the seven silly eaters is so described. "Lucy?"
Edith reminded me,

"Another baby sweet and new
Was born--dear Lucy, small and fair,
With big blue eyes and curly hair.
But long before this child was grown,
She had opinions of her own
Of what she'd eat and what she'd not.
She hated milk, both cold and hot,
And warm was worst of all. Instead
Whenever Lucy dear was fed,
She bellowed for pink lemonade,
Not from a can...
....Oh, no...
Homemade."

There are 20 or so more pages to the book, but we'd arrived at school by then, so I don't know how long Edith would have continued. I wish she'd keep track of my dissertation sources for me.