What Am I?

Yesterday while I was folding clothes in one room, this is the conversation I overhead in the kitchen between Madeleine and Bryson Sr.

"Dad, what am I?"

"What do you mean, what are you?  You're Madeleine."

"No, not that.  I have to fill this out on the paperwork {she was filling out paperwork on what classes she wants to take next school year}, and it asks me to fill in what I am.  So, what am I?  Am I Co-ac-a-sasian?  Or am I Asian?  Or Black?"

I was trying so hard not to laugh out loud right here.

"Well Madeleine, let's go through each one.  What is the first option?"

"Ace-ian"

"That is said Asian"

"Oh, okay am I Asian?"

"Well, where do you think people are from that are Asian?"

"I don't know....oh, are they from Asia?"

"That is correct.  Are you from Asia?  Are you from Japan, or Korea or China or - "

"No, of course not.  Okay, so I'm not Asian.  What about am I Black?"

"Ummmm....well, look at you, are you - "

"Fine, I get it, I'm not black.  What about Native American?  I'm American, but what about this Native part?"

This is where I was laughing like crazy inside - and yet, I felt a little part of me sigh....the part that realizes she is so much like me.  I remember filling out paper work, and wondering the same question - What Am I?
I think I even had some of the same rationale as her for Native American, although I'm pretty sure I knew I wasn't Asian or Black.  Oh Madeleine - such book smarts, but the common sense at times leaves me wondering!

"Well, there is only one option left - it's that Caucasian.  I suppose I'm that, right Dad?"

"Yes, Madeleine - you are Caucasian"

Now I know why in Merrilee Boyack's book on parenting she lists that your children should be able to fill out their own paperwork :)

Thankfully, it was definitely entertaining for the first attempt.  I should have caught it on tape!  

small catch-up

I've been writing more of the day to day snippets on Facebook, but as I've started to write more there, my heart is yearning to write even more and get back to a journaling habit.

The little moments of life and the things the children are saying and doing, continue to be my favorite - and yet I do not remember with the greatest clarity even a few days after they happen.  So, in an effort not to overdo my Facebook posts all about my wonderful and charming children - and to write down the sweet (and often times trying) moments in life...I'm going to attempt coming back to blog :)

Such as two days ago I was out running errands, Emilia had a messy diaper so we went into the restroom to change her - only I discovered that they did not have a changing table.  I laid her on the counter between the two sinks, which was a tight squeeze!  She was not thrilled with this arrangement, and kept trying to get up and would move her arms back - flailing them outwards like a bird in flight.  As she put them back, they actually triggered the sensors under the faucet to turn on the water and the water splashed onto her hands - and she pulled them back in with big round eyes and an "Ohhhhh!" as she was so surprised!

Sometimes the little things in our day to day activities are really the big things that I want to remember.  I love each stage that the children are in for a variety of reasons - they aren't always a perfect stage - we have a lot of bumps along the road of growing up, however they do bring darling comments, things that the children do and a view of who they are!  I need to remember to journal more!