In the interest of quiet lessons and a nap for Gracie, Muffin and I took Jbear to a movie in a nice, cool theater. It is 115 degrees—too hot to shop, go to a park, swim, or think of anything else to do. Trying to think cool thoughts, we decided on ‘Ice Age’ at a theater not too far away. Here is just a very small part of the “conversation”, if indeed it was a shared experience.
Jonah: “How long is it to the movie?” (how long will I be in this car?)
Grandpa: Not too far—about 25 minutes”
J: I’m hongreeeeee! (Polished off lunch at school, 3 rice cakes and some peanut butter when he came home.)
Marmee: You have snacks in your backpack and we’ll open them at the theater.
J: Well, actually, I can reach my backpack now.
G: Leave it closed until we get inside the theater, Jbear.
J: Well, how long is it to the theater.
G, opening his iphone to Google maps, finding our location on the map, showing Jbear: Look at the blue blinking dot. That is us in the car. The red dot on the map is the theater. When the blue dot travels to the red dot, we’re there.
J: Why isn’t the red dot blinking?
G: The red dot doesn’t blink. Just the blue dot that is us.
J: I want the red dot to blink.
M: Jbear, look at the brown street signs. The numbers will tell you when we get close to the theater. When you see “101” we’re almost there.
J: What brown signs?
M: Brown signs are above the street beside the traffic lights.
J: That brown sign has an 8 on it.
M: That’s right. Watch for the 101.
J: The blue dot is closer to the red dot! Why won’t the red dot blink?
G: The red dot doesn’t blink, J, just the blue one that is us moving in the car.
J: I want the red dot to blink!
M: Watch the brown signs J.
J: I don’t see any brown signs.
M: That’s because they are green now that we’ve passed into another city.
J: Why are they green?
M: Because that’s the color the city wanted.
G: Watch the blue dot, J.
M: I see a sign with One Zero…
J: One! Where’s the movie?
After parking the car, going inside the theater, and being seated.
J: I’m hongreee!
M: Use your quiet voice, J. I’ll open your backpack.
One hour and a half, two packs of raisins, one package of cheese crackers and another rice cake later…
J: I’m tired. I’m hongreeee. I don’t like this movie. I want my home.
G: Would you like to sit in my lap?
J: OK.
Ten minutes later, on the way out the theater….
J: I’m hongreeee!
G: OK, we’ll go to Trader Joes.
J: Trader Joes!!!! I love Trader Joes!!!! They have these little baskets!!!
Thirty minutes, one blue slushy, one small cup of soda and one small cup of vanilla cookie samples later….
J: Grandpa, I have to poop! Give me some privacy!
G, Waiting outside the door of the men’s room: Jonah, little boys in public restrooms only get a little bit of privacy and that’s all!
Coming out of restroom and seeing a boy about his age, J:
Hi! My name is Jonah! (gives bewildered boy a hug)
G; Let’s go find a little basket while Marmee finishes shopping, Jbear.
J: Let’s go sit on the bench!
Steers Grandpa to the exact bench and stretches out with hands behind head and feet hanging off, where I found them five minutes later.
M: Jonah, lets have breakfast for supper tonight. We’ll make pancakes and cook bacon.
J: I LIKE pancakes!!!
Leaving store, Jonah spills blue slushy in his car seat and thinks he is in big trouble.
J: Oh no! I spilled!
M: It’s no big deal. We’ll just wipe up blue slushy with a blue towel.
J: But my pants are wet!
M: Sit on the towel.
J: Grandpa , you can’t go this way to my house! You have to turn on a different street.
(Jonah, it seems, is exactly right, and we did have to backtrack.)
M: What is the name of your street?
J: (Correct answer)
M: What is the name of your city?
J: (Correct answer)
M? What is the number of your house?
J: I don’t know.
M: You can learn. Repeat after me.
J: Why doesn’t that red dot blink?
No comments:
Post a Comment