Thoughts on Japan, Chores and Priorities

The funny thing about having a Five Year Old is that we can no longer get away with spelling things, evading questions, or listening to the morning news. The first gets us in trouble only because Winona knows that the series of letters indicates that there's something secretive afoot--not because she can actually keep up with our spelling (Although, spell "cookie" aloud and you might as well just say the darn word). 

And, we used to be able to change the subject. Forget about it.

Mom, did you wash my fairy princess dress?

Hey, sweetie, wanna go to Disneyland and then get ice cream? Twice?

Sure, but what about the dress?

And, finally, the morning news. We don't watch TV in the mornings, with the exception of an occasional Super Why or Sesame Street. But I listen to NPR on the way to work and Mike reads his morning news on the internet which is often augmented by video. In both cases, little ears listen. And I often forget. She reminds me by piping up with an occasional, "Are they talking about Obama?" or "What are they talking about, Mama?" from the backseat. Of course, the stories jump from one to the next quickly and the hummingbirds migration (I said NPR, didn't I?) quickly leaps to suicide bomings before I can press "PLAY" on the CD player... and frankly, I often forget. So, I get questions like, "Why do they bomb people?" and "How come they died?" more often than I'd care to admit. And it's a fine balance--protecting and educating, one that Mike and I both probably fault on the side of providing too much information, but add it to our long, long list of mistakes we will make before they can tell their therapists all about it. :) 

Long story short, she knows all about Japan. Or, she knows that a "SooMommy" (great!) caused a lot of destruction. This is her picture of "Japan covered in Water." 

And this! This is a picture of the scene I walked in on after finishing up some gardening today. We had all been outside together, when some sprinkles came in and Winona headed inside. Jezebel and I finished up some chores, put away our tools and headed in about 20 minutes later... to find Winona proudly announcing that she had "done the laundry." I gave her enthusiastic encouragement, assuming she had "done the laundry" like she often "makes dinner" in her play kitchen. But, turns out she had emptied the actual dryer, "folded" the clothes on our bed and used her stool to get the clean clothes out of the wash machine and into the dryer. The only thing left for me to do was press "Start."

Pinch me.

And when one simply cannot decide what is more important--food or sleep--

one can choose to do both all at once. 

This kid. Oh, this kid. Tonight Mike said,
"Is this what roller derby girls are like as kids?" 

(If you are unfamiliar, Roller Derby is a competition in roller skates involving tremendous speed, aggressive play and dogged determination to stay on two feet and win).

So, yes. I'd say that this kid is prime material for Roller Derby. 

As soon as she wakes up.