As parents of young children we often have to get creative about how we introduce new ideas or tell them about things. This is particularly true with my six year old EP as she does not openly welcome change. So, we are going on a "Big Adventure" to the jungle to help Pastor Harmon & Ms. Cindy for a while. (we don't use the world m-o-v-e, that would result in upset tears). Here are some of the conversations around our household as of late:
EP, "I love pineapple and bananas" - Mom, "Hey, wouldn't it be cool to live in a place where pineapple and bananas grow in the garden?" - EM, "Yeah, then you wouldn't have to go to the store every time EM eats all the bananas!"
EP, "But mom, how can we go during school?" - Mom, "don't worry honey, they have a teacher there who will make sure you don't get behind. I think there are about 6 or 7 kids, but guess what? There is another Emma, is that silly or what?" - EP, "Mom, there are a LOT of Emmas!"
EP, "I think islands are cool!' - Mom, "Wouldn't it be neat to live on an island?" - EP, "Yeah, cause then I could go to the beach every day!" Oops! - Mom, "Did you know that some islands are so big that you can live on them and be really, really far away from the beach?"
EP, "Mom, is it warm there every day?" - Mom, "Yeah honey, it is pretty much warm every day." - EP, "Great! I can have a big swimming pool in my yard like on that buying a house show and go swimming every day!" - Hmmmm! Mom, "I don't think we will have a pool honey, but there is a river and waterfalls near by to go swimming and play in the water."
EP, "Mom, are there fish there? I don't like sharks and rays and stuff 'cause they bite" - Mom, "Remember honey, we won't be by the beach." - EP, "I KNOW that! I mean in the river... do they have fish in the river? I don't want to swim in the river if there are mean fish!" - Giggle, Mom, "You can ask Quintin honey, I'm sure he will be able to show you the safest places to go." - EP, "Mom, he is a lot bigger than in that other picture!" - Mom, "Yes, that was taken quite a while ago. You are a lot bigger than the last time we visited them too!"
And it goes on... and on... and on... She is definitely the one who needs time to process and think things through and ask a million questions. Of course there have been conversations with LM and EM too, they go something like this:
LM, "Hey mom, when are we going to the jungle?" - Mom, "It will be after Christmas, honey." - LM, "But MOM!, that will take for months!" - Mom, "You are right, about four months."
EM, "I gonna go to JUNGLE!!!!!"
The winner of the week, however, happened at breakfast this morning. Daddy was telling the kids that when we go on our Big Adventure we will all get to learn a new language. He told them that not very many people here know this language so it will be like a secret way to talk to each other that only we know. When EM asked what it was called he said, "Pidgin" She smiled and said, "Cooo, Cooo, COOoo, Coo....see, I already know how to speak pigeon!!" The laughter could hardly be contained!
This adventure is sure to provide many more interesting conversations and laughs for the Goossens clan!
