Sunday, November 2, 2008

And Sometimes Why

Kids require one to consider the imponderables of life.

Is shampoo edible?

How long can I let them watch cartoons before it becomes bad parenting?

Should I worry that my daughter plans to write about her childhood when she's an adult?

Why does my oldest insist on wearing a faded Hawaiian shirt every Friday? Can I burn it?

Why does my three year old need so little sleep?

Do the candy wrappers of Hershey's kisses add fiber to the diet?

What is the proper response to two children fighting over one blue block when there are fifty identical blocks in the box next to them? Is it legal?

How come the shirts I buy for the one kid who needs new clothing, shrink to fit the kid who has the most?

Why does my twelve year old have a fetish against buttons? Ditto for the ten year old on sweaters?

When did my son decide he would only use plastic silverware? Is his fetish an insult or a serious editorial comment to me?

Why can I think of all the things I need to do if I make a list but none of them if I don't?

Outside of helping the next generation with high school math, when is algebra needed in the real world?

Why are most works of literature, theatre and movies considered great, depressing?

Should my oldest feel concern that he gets Greek tragedies like King Oedipus better than "coming of age" works like Things Fall Apart? Should I?

Why can my kids memorize all the pokemon and their attack powers, weaknesses, and evolutionary traits, but not the state capitals, 43 presidents or the periodic table?

Why do I know all the pokemon and their attack powers, weaknesses and evolutionary traits but not the state capitals, 43 presidents or the periodic table?

Why if I think knowing things like the periodic table are important, can I not summon the mental will to memorize the state capitals, 43 presidents or periodic table myself?

How is it that every grade seems to be getting more complicated, the more children I send through it? Was I just not paying attention the first three times?

When is Spring Break?

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Things Fall Apart has a lot to say about Oedipus though. The similarities are striking. On the whole, I like the text as a story concerning the fall of one culture at the hands of another. To be fair, Achebe wrote with some hostility, but the text is certainly understandible as a way of showing osme of the mistakes cultures make when they encounter each other. ...I don't mean to ramble. --Uncle Danny. PS: Tell your oldest to call me if he's confused about it.

reprehriestless warillever said...

Schoolwork is stressing you out too? Our oldest is only in first grade, and I am already overwhelmed by the complexity some days.

MightyMom said...

I love your superheros!! fabulous!!


and your EMN button looks great up there too!

nope, you probably weren't paying attention the first three times...as you had a baby at home depleting you of sleep...........course that's true this time too isn't it??

:-)
great post!

shampoo IS edible...makes a great laxative.

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