When you’re a fly on the wall of my kitchen, this is the kind of thing you might overhear:

Conversation #1:

Sitting at the kitchen table the other night, my 11-year-old and I were playing gin and he was decidedly spanking my behind in the process.  Because he was feeling rather high and mighty, I knew his guard was down; I seized the opportunity to ask him some personal questions. 

Amazing how candidly and honestly he answered.

One of the most unexpected responses was when I was fishing for a compliment:  I asked him what he liked "best" about me as his mom (compared to his friend’s moms).   NOT that I was nicer or smarter or prettier.  NOT that I was more fun or a better cook or a smokin’ laundress.  NOT that I was more godly or more creative or more A.N.Y.T.H.I.N.G.  Nooooo, none of that! 

What he liked best about me compared to others?

That I re-cycle.

I was dumbfounded; it was a quick lesson in not presuming to know what your kids are thinking.  It was also great opportunity for me to explain my motive in recycling (environmental concern and our responsibility to steward well our corner of Creation). 

Interestingly, when I shared this conversation with my daughter, I asked her what she thought Stephen had answered.   She immediately responded, "Recycling" and I said, "HOW DID YOU KNOW HE’D SAY THAT?" and she admitted she’s glad I/we do that, too.

GREAT motivation for me when I’d like to take the easy path and just trash everything.  It matters…and not just to me!

Conversation #2:

I’ve got a stack of unwatched DVDs sitting on the counter and Rachel was flipping through them, reading the covers. 

Rachel (looking at "Vantage Point"):   "Sigourney Weaver…she’s always scared me a little."

Me (with image of an alien exploding out of John Hurt’s chest):  "I’ve always thought she looked kinda like a gorilla."

Rachel (again, looking at the DVD cover):  "Yeah…I see ‘ape’."

(Ok, ok, I feel kinda bad about dissing Sigourney.  Maybe the association stems merely from her living with gorillas or something…you know, the way owners begin looking like their pets over time.)

S o m e o n e  needs to host a TV show featuring kids sayin’ the darndest things.  I’m rather certain it’d be a raging success ;).

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