art projects
Today I went to pick up Maya from pre-school. She was drawing when I arrived, which is pretty much the case every time I come - the girl loves her art. When I complimented her on the picture she was drawing, one of her other classmates perked up. "Maya drew me a picture," he said. "It was really funny."
"Funny?" I grinned. "What was it a picture of?" The boy immediately grew evasive. "A bird," he said, giggling, "But... she also wrote something on it." But he wouldn't tell me what it said.
"Maya? What did you write on the picture." She lowered her head. "I don't want to tell you." I tried not to, but I couldn't help laughing. "Why?" She lowered her voice in shame.
"Because it was a potty word."
At this, I was hard pressed to avoid cracking up on the spot, but I didn't want to make her any more uncomfortable, so I dropped the subject... until later that evening, when we were in private. When I asked her again, she protested.
"But I don't want to tell you because it was a potty word and our teacher said we shouldn't say potty words." Her voice lilted in the way it does when she is protesting, or ashamed, or both.
"Maya, honey," I said, "I promise I won't be mad - I'll probably think it's funny. Can you tell me what you wrote, please?"
She lowered her voice even further, to the point where I could barely hear it.
"'Fart'," she said.
I couldn't help it. I had been squatting on the balls of my feet next to her - I literally fell backwards onto my ass and collapsed into laughter. "Maya," I said, "are you telling me that you drew Jimmy a picture of a bird, and then wrote 'fart' on it?"
She nodded, and giggled.
5 years old is turning out to be awesome.
"Funny?" I grinned. "What was it a picture of?" The boy immediately grew evasive. "A bird," he said, giggling, "But... she also wrote something on it." But he wouldn't tell me what it said.
"Maya? What did you write on the picture." She lowered her head. "I don't want to tell you." I tried not to, but I couldn't help laughing. "Why?" She lowered her voice in shame.
"Because it was a potty word."
At this, I was hard pressed to avoid cracking up on the spot, but I didn't want to make her any more uncomfortable, so I dropped the subject... until later that evening, when we were in private. When I asked her again, she protested.
"But I don't want to tell you because it was a potty word and our teacher said we shouldn't say potty words." Her voice lilted in the way it does when she is protesting, or ashamed, or both.
"Maya, honey," I said, "I promise I won't be mad - I'll probably think it's funny. Can you tell me what you wrote, please?"
She lowered her voice even further, to the point where I could barely hear it.
"'Fart'," she said.
I couldn't help it. I had been squatting on the balls of my feet next to her - I literally fell backwards onto my ass and collapsed into laughter. "Maya," I said, "are you telling me that you drew Jimmy a picture of a bird, and then wrote 'fart' on it?"
She nodded, and giggled.
5 years old is turning out to be awesome.