Conversation at Bedtime
"Mama?"
"Yes?"
"How do you get to the moon?"
"On a rocketship. People called astronauts fly in them. It's a long, long way away."
"Yes, like five minutes!"
"Yes, or even more. Do you think you'd like to be an astronaut when you grow up?"
"Hmm. Do you think it makes a lot of noise?"
"The rocketship? I bet it probably does."
"I don't really like loud noises. Plus, it's probably very, very dark in there."
"Hmm. That's a good question. I think the astronauts need light to work, so it might not be too dark."
"Yes, but I bet they don't have five lights. But maybe you could be an astronaut too. Then I might like it. And maybe Daddy. And maybe Party Girl, when she gets bigger. Then I might like it."
"I bet you would. What else do you think you'd like to be when you grow up?"
"A grown-up?"
(smile) "Well yes, but what would you like to do?"
"Well, I could take care of Party Girl. Only she'll be a grown up too. Hmm."
"Would you like to have some kind of job, like what Daddy does?"
"But I'm not going to be a boy when I grow up! I won't be a grown up boy who goes to work like Daddy."
I can see I have a little work to do.
"Yes?"
"How do you get to the moon?"
"On a rocketship. People called astronauts fly in them. It's a long, long way away."
"Yes, like five minutes!"
"Yes, or even more. Do you think you'd like to be an astronaut when you grow up?"
"Hmm. Do you think it makes a lot of noise?"
"The rocketship? I bet it probably does."
"I don't really like loud noises. Plus, it's probably very, very dark in there."
"Hmm. That's a good question. I think the astronauts need light to work, so it might not be too dark."
"Yes, but I bet they don't have five lights. But maybe you could be an astronaut too. Then I might like it. And maybe Daddy. And maybe Party Girl, when she gets bigger. Then I might like it."
"I bet you would. What else do you think you'd like to be when you grow up?"
"A grown-up?"
(smile) "Well yes, but what would you like to do?"
"Well, I could take care of Party Girl. Only she'll be a grown up too. Hmm."
"Would you like to have some kind of job, like what Daddy does?"
"But I'm not going to be a boy when I grow up! I won't be a grown up boy who goes to work like Daddy."
I can see I have a little work to do.
posted by Her Grace at
7:58 PM
2 Comments:
Uh oh. Time to talk to her about your former job! She also has a Grandma and an Aunt Marnie who work... time to draw attention to that. Maybe you could come in an meet me for lunch one day -- then she could see my office.
You know, it's funny. I talk to her about how I used to be a teacher (and will be again) all the time. She's been to her grandma's classroom a gazillion times, and most of the people that M works with are women. She knows women have careers, but I think she perceives grown-up life as her and Anna being grown-ups still living in their pastel bedrooms and can't fathom wanting more than that.
At least not anything more that makes loud noises or doesn't have a lot of lights, anyway.
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