Friday 20 August 2010

More On The Tooth Fairy

Last night Matt asked me what if everybody loses a tooth at once, how will the tooth fairy be able to go to everyone in one night. I told him there's more than one tooth fairy, and each one has their own area to cover.

Then he asked how come the tooth fairies don't show themselves. I said they come by magic, and if they show themselves that would destroy the magic and they won't be able to come anymore. It's like Santa Claus.

Sarah immediately went, "Oh, they'll lose their job?"

It's funny how they humour me. The kids are actually dead certain it's Daddy who's putting the money in their tooth boxes. Matt says he has seen Daddy come in, and the reason he's even more sure is because, according to him, "You guys always smile when we talk about the tooth fairy!"

The kids have their own grasp of fiction and reality. In response to their query once about why people burn things during the seventh month, I had told them how people believe in ghosts, but they're not real. Sarah's response to that was, "Oh, it's like how we believe in the tooth fairy, but it's not real. Daddy puts it."

Thursday 19 August 2010

Boh-Geh Sarah

Sarah said to me this morning, "Mommy, I can take the train with you to office. I can hold your hand. If you're tired, I can help you up, and you won't miss the train." Pause. "I'm always helpful."

Nice try! She and Matt are home these two days for the PSLE oral exams. But Sophie still has nursery. Luckily I have the car to drive her instead of putting her on her usual schoolbus. She was already starting to kick up a fuss and that girl is loud.

Sarah is also losing her teeth apace: last week there were four shaky ones, two got pulled by the school dentist, now waiting for the extremely wobbly front tooth to fall. At the moment she's enjoying going around with it sticking out between her lips, bent forward at a crazy angle. I tried to encourage her to just yank it off herself, reminding her of the tooth fairy and the usual two bucks. Her response?

"I don't think I will get two dollars for this tooth. It has a decay here (pointing to it) so maybe I will only get fifty cents."

Tomorrow driving Sophie again. Can't wait for Sean to come back from reservist, and resume chauffeur duties. Saturday morning is not too far away!

ETA: He's coming home tonight! Yay!!

Tuesday 10 August 2010

From The Kids

I hate you
You hate me
Barney started World War Three
With a great big bang
And his head flew off
Won't you say you hate me too?

~ by Matt


I hate you
You hate me
We're an angry family
With a great big punch
And a kick from me to you
Won't you say you hate me too?

~ by Sarah


And in the car Sophie will ask, "Please can I have rubbish?"
She actually means Garbage.

She also likes to call out from the third row in the back, "Go faster Daddy! Speed!!"

Thursday 5 August 2010

Theotokos

While I was showering Sarah, we heard Rachel crying briefly for her milk as Sean was putting her to bed.

Sarah turned to me and said, "Mummy, Mother Mary never cried when she was a baby. My teacher said she was always very good. She was a very good girl and a very good baby."

"Yes, oh, I don't know if she NEVER cried, but yes she was always very good, she was already good even before she was born, when she was inside her mummy's tummy." I guessed Sarah's teacher must have been explaining the concept of the Immaculate Conception to her class.

"Hmm, not fair, how come she's so good!" Sarah went.

"Mary is Jesus' mummy, of course she should be good because Jesus is God and he's perfect goodness himself. She has to carry him inside and look after him and bring him up, that's why God chose her to be good."

Sarah commented, "So lucky that God chose her!"

"Yes, she is really blessed among women. We can try to be like her to love Jesus and bring other people closer to him."

Later that evening, after prayers, I asked the children what they would like to do well tomorrow.

They were all thinking and Sarah suddenly said, "Mary!"

"Mary?"

"Tomorrow I want to be a good girl like Mother Mary," she confirmed.

"That's a great idea, Sarah. OK so tomorrow you can try hard to be good girl like Mother Mary. Matthew, what about you, whom would you like to be like tomorrow?" I asked.

While Matthew was thinking hard, Sarah said, "Jesus!"

I said, "That's a good idea! Matt, what do you think? Do you want to try to be like Jesus tomorrow?"

Matt replied, with some concern, "Yes... but I don't really know how to tell parables..."