Silver Linings

Pillow talk:

Zach: Did you ever break your arm?

Betsy: No. I've never broken my arm.

Zach: Well, it isn't anything to worry about. It's kind of like going to a hotel. Or more like a mall, but not with so many people. (Referring to the orthopedist's office)


Later....

Zach: You know? I kind of liked breaking my arm. Because it didn't hurt so much, going through that. And at the end, I got a whole humongous Dunkin Donut.

(Sigh.)

That was the yummiest doughnut I ever had.

Gratitude

Grandpa: What would you do if I gave you $10 billion?

Zach: Say thank you. (pause.) And then I guess I'd need to get a new piggy bank.

Priorities

Charlie: Zach! Stop what you're doing and wash your hands.

Zach, calmly: Dad, it's not like the smoke alarm went off. It can wait a sec.

Cinderella

This afternoon we saw a community theater production of Cinderella by kindergartners and first graders. Zach's dear friend, Tahlia, had the juicy role of Anastasia, evil step-sister. We thought he'd be delighted to see her onstage. But a third of the way through the first act, he turned to me in utter confusion:

Zach: Why did I have to come here?

But he survived the play, and apparently, it had some small impact on him. After flooding the bathroom and most of his sister during bath time, I informed him that he'd be cleaning it up.

Zach: I have to feel like Cinderella on the same day I had to see the play!

On Pizza

How can DOUGH become such amazing food?

Geography

While trick or treating at break-neck speed with his friend, Dina, who is from China....

Zach: I want to get to all of my friends' houses!

Dina: I want to get to all of MY friends' houses!

Zach: Well, we're not going to get to all of your friends. Because by the time we get to China, it will be morning.

Learning

Zach recently bought a Lego watch with his own money. He's been trying like mad to learn how to tell time ever since. In the car on the way to a birthday party, a light bulb went off when he figured out that a big hand on the 6 meant "half past" the hour.

Zach: I am learning SO much today! This is exciting!


Unlike a couple of weeks ago, when he said, of kindergarten, "We don't really learn anything there." I love that his teacher has one up on him!

Secrets

Trying to get his sister's attention:

"Kate, I have a secret....Kate, come here! I have a secret to tell you. KATE! Come here! (Pause.) And I'm not going to tell you you're stupid."

Calm Down

Zach's completely manic and not especially listening to directions on the way to a birthday party. Charlie tells Zach to take a breath and calm down. Zach, sulking, says:

Its like the perfect time to not calm down. I'm going to a party and you're supposed to be crazy at a party.

Hrrrrumph.

The Mercier Way

Spoken without knowledge of the fact that Charlie's dad was undergoing surgery today:

Zach: The Mercier's are usually lucky.

Crazy

Having very little feedback so far about kindergarten, I asked Zach about his adjustment:

Betsy: So, does Mrs. Smith....like you? Or are you...you know, driving her crazy?

Zach: She likes me.

Betsy: Well....how do you know?

Zach: Because she doesn't say, "ZACH, YOU'RE DRIVING ME CRAZY!!!!"

First Day (Non) Jitters

What I overheard while Zach was talking to his Grandma before the first day of Kindergarten:

Well, I'm not really thinking about the classroom. I'm just thinking about the bus...


I got Lego Star Wars. But I only got the bad guys. Well, I don't have [some bad guy], so if you were thinking of getting me something....oops, never mind.


You mean good enough for a gold medal?


Which do you think is fun-er? Being a Grandma or being a teacher?

I always thought that it was easy to be a mommy, but now I figured out that it's very, very hard.

15 Minutes

Zach got his name in the local paper this week, for "a hard hit in the bottom of the second." (A little overkill for 5-year-0ld T-ball, in my opinion, but...)

Zach: Does this mean I'm as famous as Obama, or, like, God, now?

Of Mice and (Police) Men

Zach had the pleasure of riding to school in a police car today. His friend, Jack, won the trip at the school auction and invited Zach to join him. The boys sat in the back seat, where there were bars behind the windows and no door handles on the inside. After a discussion with Officer Campbell about why that might be, Zach started firing away with hypothetical dilemmas...

Zach: What if you had a bad guy in the back seat, and he had a potion that can make him into a mouse, and he could climb up and crawl out right between the bars!

Officer: I don't know what I'd do if that happened!

Zach: Well, you should just roll up the window.

Patriot Games

While in the gift shop at Sturbridge Village, Zach was lobbying hard to buy his first cap gun...

Betsy: Why do you want a gun so much?

Zach: Well, all of my friends have weapons and I only have one gun. What are we supposed to do when someone comes over? Who gets the gun?

(Pause.)

And also I really, really love America.

The Greatest Dad

Zach: You know what, Mommy? I think we have the greatest Daddy in the whole world.

B: Me, too. Why?

Zach: He's really strong and he takes care of kids and people.

B: Very true.

Fa-la-la-la-la

Zach, to Maria's mom: Is your name "carol" because you like to sing?

Not into hugging while playing with Legos...

Zach: Mom, let go. My race car needs wheels. And how would YOU like it if you didn't have legs?

Wicked Popular

Katie, via Betsy, has developed a huge appetite for the music from Wicked. Her favorite song is "Popular", which Kristin Chenoweth immortalized on Broadway (the New York Times critic called it a "master class in phrasing" - seriously, look at it on youtube...anyway...)

During a particularly grumpy pre-bedtime discussion, Zach let me know how much of an impact that song has had on him.

Zach: The kids are gonna make fun of me.

Betsy: The kids are not going to make fun of you. The kids never make fun of you. Mrs. Goner says you're very popular.

Zach: All that does is remind me of the baddest song I've ever heard in my life.

Why do the grown-ups get to decide everything I do? It's like I'm just an assistant.