poking the president

Sometime last week Jaelyn showed me a dollar bill. “Daddy? Did you know that this is George Washington?”

I did and I told her so. I asked if she knew that G. W. was our first president?

She nodded enthusiastically.

ME: and who’s our president, now, Jae?

She shrugs.

ME: His name is George, too.

That small prompt is all she needs.

JAE: George Bush!

ME: Right!

Her face suddenly becomes completely solemn.

JAE: He’s killing everyone!

(For those of you who haven’t been around recently – Lynn and I have become pacifists; for those of you who have, we haven’t always been.)

Well, I nodded solemnly, war kills people and he did choose war. And then (as it always does in a four year old world) conversation changed direction.

Well yesterday, Lynn drove the kids past a house festooned in balloons and flags and streamers and signs.

What’s happening there mommy? Jaelyn wanted to know. Someone is coming back from the war, she answered, the war that George Bush made him go and fight.

(I know, I know, political dogma, but we all do it…)

JAE: I’m going to kill him!

(for the record, we’re pacifists, not radicals, so this response seemed a bit unmerited.)

LYNN: Oh, no, Jae, we don’t kill other people. That’s only more violence and that doesn’t solve problems.

ADDISON: (from the carseat) Go home!

LYNN: What?

ADDISON: GO HOME!

LYNN: You want to go home?

ADDISON: (and now I’m going to move to a more literal transcription) o-ome-et-tick!-pokey!

LYNN: What honey?

Eventually she decoded: I want to go home to get a stick and I’ll POKE him.

We took the family to see a children’s theater rendition of The Emporer’s New Clothes at the local civic theater a couple of weeks ago, and Hahn, the evil prime minister character was POKING the villagers with his cane – the image has stuck with our kids. POKING is now the most heinous punishment they can imagine. A much more serious fate than even being decapitated (I threaten them with chopped off heads at least twice a day – no! they shriek and laugh and run out of the room. I’m thinking of writing a book – Growing Good Children Through Capital Punishment).

It’s finally a quiet day – the last of our dear friends made their way through last week – Ted, Harry, Joe & Roxanne & Bei and family…now we need a day of quiet. Well psuedo quiet. Toby & Mark are upstairs drywalling the bathroom, Gary’s coming later today to help tear off the roof on the porch…but at least its sunny! Lynn surprised me with Panera Coffee this morning. I have an amazing wife…

Happy Birthday Dave L.! (Sorry I forgot to say so on the phone!)

Hope y’all have a Sabbath day!

Peace~