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MD had a couple of threads on "things children say," so very enjoyable.
To begin anew -
My "newly-9-year-old" granddaughter is having some tests
(i won't get into details/i believe the tests to be wildly unnecessary, not my decision) ..
personally, i'm for having the adults in her life tested. truly i am.

Of several varying questions:
one was: do you see things other people do not see?
her response: Yes! - when we went on a (school) field trip, i saw horses no one else noticed.

another: do you hear voices no one else hears?
her response: Yes! - music! i hear music all-the-time no one else hears.

well. she told them. didn't she.

Not a quote. just something.
my granddaughter and i are collaberating on a book, our first effort.
she felt a bit mistreated on her recent 9th birthday, being told to pick up her room, so, she's titled the book, "How to be a Great Mom." The first chapter, "Birthdays."

i told her i thought that was a good place to begin, after all, they first met on her birth day.
i assured her, on that day, she was assigned no chores. so, that day, they got off to a good start.

we talked this evening, she looked up "collaberate" and a few other words in the dictionary i gave her last summer. she loves that book! (i purchased 30% off, free shipping)
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/thorndi ... 0673124494

if others have preferences, please share.

we got in trouble again this evening.
we are inclined to laugh+giggle when her mother thinks it's past bedtime.
(when did she, of all people, turn into the sleep police?!)

received a birthday gift from my granddaughter this morning.
a box of Smartwool socks!
her note:

dear: Grammy We hope you like our present!!! I picked it out myself. Because God thing that should be holy!

this will be a good day. today i will smile all day.

Walking down the street here in South Africa with my brother and sister-in-law, the latter stopped to converse with a neighbor walking his dog with his three-year old daughter. I stooped to pet his dog and talk to him. Whereupon the little girl exclaimed, "Lady, he can't talk. HE CAN'T TALK!" I replied indignantly, "But he won't even look at me." My brother cleared up that mystery for me--"He already took a look at you, that's why he doesn't wanna look again." Dissed by a canine.

not a funny. a wonder.

i'm with my granddaughter now. she's 9.
she's been attending a Catholic school.
there are some problems (that drive my daughter "mad," i cannot blame her.)

strangely, tho, the child has thrived, despite the problems. some problems are in the classroom, with some of the children, and, perhaps, from teachers not knowing how to deal with problems very well. the world is kinda crazy. young children are bringing it from home right into their classrooms.

she seems to be able to extract the good from the wrong, especially when it comes to her Bible studies. she is drawn like a magnet to Truth. this all happens quietly, no fanfare. it just is.
praise God.

i am so thankful, knowing she will need every bit of strength she can find to face the road in front of her.

My daughter Bethany went camping with her nieces in their back yard. As Bethany was leading them in a bedtime prayer the dogs began howling so she prayed "and dear God, please don't let the dogs howl all night." She was immediately interrupted by the three year old who said "No, the dogs have to bark all night to keep the bears away." They all broke out laughing so the little one said "I will lead in prayer this time." So she began "Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray Thee Lord my soul to keep, if I should die before i wake - what comes next?" Bethany says she refrained from giving her a deep theological answer to "what comes next?"

Hats Off wrote:My daughter Bethany went camping with her nieces in their back yard. As Bethany was leading them in a bedtime prayer the dogs began howling so she prayed "and dear God, please don't let the dogs howl all night."
She was immediately interrupted by the three year old who said "No, the dogs have to bark all night to keep the bears away."
They all broke out laughing so the little one said "I will lead in prayer this time."
So she began "Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray Thee Lord my soul to keep, if I should die before i wake - what comes next?"
Bethany says she refrained from giving her a deep theological answer to "what comes next?"

a tale of 2 wise women.
hmm. it's bedtime here, maybe i'll make this tonight's bedtime story.

.. so .. one of my jobs this last family visit was getting the 10 year old to girls’ basketball practice, which i was happy to do. they let me stay and watch. their games were on saturday mornings.

after the game began, i realized i had inadvertantly sat on the rival team’s side.
at this age, not a big crowd present! still, i decided to just stay where i was.

i just cheered each time a basket was made, either team. after all. it’s a basket.

later that day, i mentioned my error.
my grdaughter said, “o.yeah.”
then, nicely, “grammy, could you not cheer for the other team?!”
ok.

This Finnish child speaks.
”Some facts about babies in Finland”


i’m not sold on such socialism. he gives an inside glimpse.
his description of Finnish “bureaucrats” is precious. and, “noteworthy.”

my mother believed in putting babies outside for naps, even in winter!
this was common. evidently, still done in Scandanavian countries, even in daycare.
i view some of these videos with babies left outside to nap, trusted to be fine! that’s “the life.”

He describes gov-issued Finnish baby boxes .. example:


Winter naps


they make videos that look so inviting.

More from Kirikou.
This time, the child, aided by his father, will help us learn fluent Finnish.
The Quiet in the Land might appreciate his insights.



he reminds of Robert’s granddaughter.
has she made any new informative videos?