A particularly excellent homework assignment
September 30th, 2010
Tonight Siena had to complete a worksheet on responsibilities. This was great timing, considering we have recently implemented an allowance tied to the successful completion of a week’s worth of chores and, as a result, have been talking a lot about responsibilities. I would just like to share with you the following answers to some of the worksheet’s questions, and the conversation that took place as she was completing the assignment. (Siena’s answers in bold; original spelling and punctuation preserved.)
Question: Write two responsibilities you have at home.
1. At home I: Make my bed 5 times, I set the table 5 times, un lode dishwasher 5 times, feed the cat, help pick up 5 times, help put away londry.
2. Choose a member of your family. Write two responsibilities they have at home.
At home my: mom cleens the bath-tub, cleense the table, my mom lodes the dish-washer
At home my: dad macks diner, my dad plays cick ball we’ll my mom werks.
In case you need a translation, that last line says “my dad makes dinner; my dad plays kickball while my mom works.” I don’t think I need to tell you why I find this so excellent.
Better even than the “plays kickball while my mom works” line is the discussion we had as she was completing the questions:
[Siena writes "Dad" and pauses; looks at me.]
Mama: “What does Daddy do at home?”
Siena: “Is ‘goes on Twitter’ a responsibility?”
Mama [laughing]: ”No, I don’t think that’s a responsibility. That’s something you do when you should be doing your responsibilities.”
Siena: “I’m going to write it anyway.”
Mama [still laughing]: “I know Daddy does that a lot, but let’s think of some other responsibilities Daddy has around the house.”
Matt [thinking of yard work and lawn-mowing]: “What do I do outside?”
Siena starts writing. My dad plays kickball while my mom works.
Awesome. Also funny? I don’t clean the bathtub that often.
Can they hear you at the front of the room?
October 13th, 2009
Siena has been in kindergarten for five weeks now. I usually pick her up after school three days per week, along with a friend who lives a block from us. The 10-minute car ride gives us time to chat about what happened that day. Last week, I asked the standard question, “How was the day?”
Siena: Daddy, we had a sub today.
Matt: Oh yeah? A sub, huh? Was it a he or a she? Was he or she young or old?
Siena: The sub was a girl…I think she was kinda young. She was like a mom.
Matt: Uhhh, a mom, huh?
Siena: Other subs have been like grandmas.
The girls then started talking about grandmas in the back seat and all the things they do for them.