Month: May 2016

I speak four-year-old. And thank goodness I do because otherwise a conversation could very well go astray…
Donny was coloring. Some of the lines on the paper were blurry since my copier had been acting up. Pointing at the fuzzy lines, Donny asked me “Why does this look like this?” I casually replied, “I had trouble with the copies.”
Eyes wide with wonder, Donny mulled over my statement for a moment. “You had trouble with the copies?”
“Yes I did.”
He continued, “Were they at your house?” WHAT? “Were they at your house?” He repeated. “No, my copier is here at school, not at my house.”
Donny pressed on. “Were they in the yard?” WHAT? “No, my copier is in the office, not in the yard.”
“Why were the copies in the office?” he asked. Clearly, Donny was confused. I was confused, too. This conversation was going round and round in circles…on its way to nowhere.
My mind started churning. What is he talking about? Think. Think like a four year old. Think literally.
Oh, wait a second… Copies, copies. Ahhhh…could it be? Could Donny possibly be thinking I am talking about COPS?!
“Donny, do you think I am talking about cops? Policemen?”
“Yes!” His face brightened. Translation successful. We were on the same page. We were speaking the same language.
Inwardly, I chuckled at the announcement which might have occurred in Donny’s home that evening… “The cops came to Miss Theresa’s school…”
Whew, thank goodness I speak four-year-old.

To a four year old, Mommy is the center of the universe. When moms drop their children in my school, I have the pleasure of witnessing various sweet rituals…the have-a-great-day hug, the just-one-more-kiss please and sometimes the shy child’s hanging-on-the-leg.
Ask four year olds about their moms, and you never know what they will say. But you know that whatever it is, it will touch your heart and it will be literal. i remember Katie remarking, “When I was a baby I was in Mama’s belly. And it was DARK in there!”
Another day, Nate told me, “When Mommy sits on the couch, I sit on her because she feels like a pillow.” No, his mom wasn’t overweight fluffy. She was just right. Mommies are soft, Mommies’ laps are cozy and comfortable. Just where you want to be. Like a pillow. I couldn’t have said it any better.
Four year olds like to be helpers. When I posed the question “how can you help Mommy on Mother’s Day?” I received the typical and expected responses such as “I will pick up my toys” and “I will help her with the dishes.” Then Jake piped up, “we can shave her legs.” Now that’s an act of love.
While four year olds like to help out, they are equally as cognizant of how much their moms help them. They recognize that mommies will often do what no one else will. And there is no one quite like a four year old to put bluntly into words the sacrifices of a mother. When asked why he loves his mom, David casually stated, “Well, she helped us bury the old dead lizard in the backyard.”
So, to all the mommies out there, keep being the pillow upon which to sit, keep burying the old dead lizard in the backyard and perhaps you will get the ultimate reward of getting your legs shaved. Happy Mother’s Day!