I countered that rather than "una cinica" I was "una realista"... and it appears that my four year old is developing (or was born with) a similar mindset.
This weekend my mom forwarded me one of those adorable emails with gradeschool children answering somewhat philisophical questions, so of course we quizzed Charlie. His answers are in bold. And for anyone concerned, he does still believe pixie dust and that his stuffed Bella has feelings...it's hard to explain, but I can vouch for the fact that stubborn realism and joyful imaginations do, in fact, go together.
WHY GOD MADE MOMS
Why did God make mothers?
1. She's the only one who knows where the
scotch tape is.
2. Mostly to clean the house.
3. To help us out of there when we were
getting born.
How did God make mothers?
1. He used dirt, just like for the rest of us.
2. Magic plus super powers and a lot of
stirring.
3. God made my mom just the same like he made
me. He just used bigger parts.
Charlie: "He spoke them."
What ingredients are mothers made of?
1. God makes mothers out of clouds and angel
hair and everything nice in the world and one dab of mean.
2. They had to get their start from men's
bones. Then they mostly use string, I think.
Charlie: "I don't know. God."
Why did God give you your mother and not some other mom?
1. We're related.
2. God knew she likes me a lot more than other
people's mom like me.
Charlie: "Because He wanted to."
What kind of a little girl was your mom?
1. My mom has always been my mom and none of
that other stuff.
2. I don't know because I wasn't there, but my
guess would be pretty bossy.
3. They say she used to be nice.
Charlie: "A daughter...even now she's a daughter."
What did mom need to know about dad before she married him?
1. His last name.
2. She had to know his background. Like is he
a crook? Does he get drunk on beer?
3. Does he make at least $800 a year? Did he
say NO to drugs and YES to chores?
Charlie: "That she'd spend her life with him forever."
Why did your mom marry your dad?
1. My dad makes the best spaghetti in the
world. And my mom eats a lot.
2. She got too old to do anything else with
him.
3. My grandma says that mom didn't have her
thinking cap on.
Charlie: "Because she loved him and she liked him and she wanted to get married...And because she wanted a son."
Who's the boss at your house?
1. Mom doesn't want to be boss, but she has to
because dad's such a goof ball.
2. Mom. You can tell by room inspection. She
sees the stuff under the bed.
3. I guess mom is, but only because she has a
lot more to do than dad.
Charlie: "DADDY!... I guess..."
What's the difference between moms and dads?
1. Moms work at work and work at home and dads
just go to work at work.
2. Moms know how to talk to teachers without
scaring them.
3. Dads are taller and stronger, but moms have
all the real power cause that's who you got to ask if you want to sleep over at
your friends.
4. Moms have magic, they make you feel better
without medicine.
Charlie: "She's a girl and Daddy's a boy. And she has long hair."
What does your mom do in her spare time?
1. Mothers don't do spare time.
2. To hear her tell it, she pays bills all day
long.
Charlie: "Play and go to the Children's Museum and see friends and go to church."
What would it take to make your mom perfect?
1. On the inside she's already perfect.
Outside, I think some kind of plastic surgery.
2. Diet. You know, her hair. I'd diet, maybe
blue.
Charlie: "God."
If you could change one thing about your mom, what would it be?
1. She has this weird thing about me keeping
my room clean. I'd get rid of that.
2. I'd make my mom smarter. Then she would
know it was my sister who did it not me.
3. I would like for her to get rid of those
invisible eyes on the back of her head.
Charlie: "That I make the rules."
