When Little C was about 3 (he's 13 now), I took him to the Hallmark store to get pick up a Webkinz for his sister as a present. We were checking out and our cashier lady was obese. Little C said out loud to me but loud enough for her to hear, "Mommy, why is her tummy so fat?" I was MORTIFIED. I ignored him like I didn't hear him but I could tell by the woman's demeanor that she had heard. When we got out of the store, I explained to Little C that we need to be careful and want to hurt other people's feelings.
I had this same conversation with Kai tonight. He was telling Little M that she is a little fat. She isn't but does have a little tummy on her which is why he says that. I know it's cultural to be able to say that to another person but I told him that it isn't nice to tell someone that....especially girls. He understood.
Remember the water bottle issue yesterday? This morning, Kai fills it up for water and takes it in the car with him. He's excited to take it to school. After he climbs out of the car at school and reaches in to grab his water bottle, I said, "Now don't lose it at school." He looked at the bottle, looked at me, and decided to leave it in the car. He's already left his lunch bag on the bus twice and knows this so it didn't take him any time at all to decide to leave it.
This morning, Kai told me that he wants to ride the bus TO school....today! I told him that was great but we needed to wait til tomorrow so I could get it arranged. He will take his siblings bus to their school and then hop on a second bus to his school that shuttles from there. Little C and M will make sure he makes the transfer.
Little M had a classmate come over to work on a plant cell cake they are doing for school. Kai hovered over them and watched everything they did and butted in several times. You would have NEVER known that just 30 minutes before, he had just met Little M's friend. NO shyness there whatsoever.
We are establishing an after school routine. The kids come home and all do homework including Kai. If he doesn't have homework, I give him some and we work on his reading lesson. After reading, we do his exercises. We have four leg stretches to do and then I work specifically on his foot trying to wake up muscles. We get hand homework tomorrow. 2 to 3 times a day is going to take a solid hour out of the day once we get both going. I am anxious to see what they do for his hand and foot.
An interesting perspective about age. When we were in China touring the Shaolin temple, our guide told us he had lived in Zhenzhou for only a short time. We asked how long and he said, "Only 3 generations." WHAT? To us Americans, that's a long time but in Chinese perspective which is rich in tradition and years, 3 generations is young. Kai has this same perspective. I am not old. Dad is not old. I love that! We were looking on the internet for a Wii Pokemon game and having a hard time finding one because in American terms, it's an old game. I told him this and he looked at me like I was crazy and told me how it's LOTS IN JAPAN AND CHINA. No old. I better start being careful with how I use old.
As I type this, I have a kid over my shoulder who keeps saying, "Ma?" over and over again. I have been interrupted so many times that I hope this post makes sense....lol.
