Today we took a field trip down to Go Fish for a class. Cooter and our Princess enjoy these classes, as do I. They do a really good job of combining learning and fun in the classroom there, and the facility itself with the amazing aquarium and fully stocked pond for fishing is one of our area’s best kept secrets. So many opportunities for education and adventure all in one place.
The class this morning was about Our Feathered Friends. One of the teachers asked the children about characteristics of birds that most or all have in common. Wings, hollow bones (except for the common loon, I learned something today), and beaks were a few of the things mentioned.
Then Cooter raised his hand, and she called on him. I was sitting in the same room but not close enough to have assessed what his response was going to be in advance. His answer to the question about what characteristics most or all birds have was: “They’re good cookin’.”
She and the other educator looked at each other, confused. “They’re good cooks? Birds can cook?”
Not daunted by the misunderstanding, my little guy shook his head no, and restated his answer, “They’re good. Cooked. They’re good cooked. Tasty.”
Welp. Okay then.
The teachers and other moms in the room laughed. I shook my head and reminded myself about who my son is.
The class clown of Zoo Crew Academy, ladies and gentlemen. He’s here for the next eight years. Thank you.
The next activity involved using different things that had been put together to look and act like different types of bird beaks–the hummingbird, the pelican, the wider beaked birds, and the tiny little pointed ones. It was interesting as the children tried the different “beaks” to pick up “fish” from the water, or the nectar, birdseeds, or “worms” in the sand. The children discussed which beaks were best for each type of food.
When they finished with that, the instructors, who are vibrant and fun and have great senses of humor (thankfully) and who seem to really enjoy the children, brought around two live chickens who were hatched during the Fair about a month ago. They were of good size, though not full-grown. As Cooter and Princess were petting one of the chicks, my girl commented that she’d love to have that chicken at our house and how its feathers were so soft like a kitten. The teacher agreed. “Yes, I’d love to take it home with me.”
Our Princess kept loving on the chick, “Can you imagine? Eggs whenever you wanted. You’d never have to go to the store to get them. Scrambled eggs for breakfast everyday!”
The teacher smiled and nodded. “That would be good. Scrambled eggs for breakfast–I’d love that. But I’d need the chicken to cook them for me too.”
My girl didn’t miss a beat. She looked at her teacher and said, “But that’s what your husband is for.”
For. The. Love.
The teacher laughed, “I love that.”
And so do I.
That our Princess lives a life where, if the wife isn’t able to scramble the eggs, it is just assumed that the husband would jump in and do it.
I mean, why not, right? So thankful for the world she lives in, what she believes, and the story that is hers.
Tonight I’m thankful for the wonderful opportunities to share in the learning with my children. I am so appreciative of the time and energy these fantastic folks put into planning a great and interesting program for the children, and I’m glad we have such an amazing place to learn just a little bit down the road. I love that I get to learn alongside my children. Most of all, I’m grateful for their precious spirits–wonky sense of humor and all–and how they see the world. Their laughter is more than infectious, it’s light pouring out from their souls and changing the world for the better.
May we all share a laugh and pour a little light into the world today.
Love to all.
I Might Need A Nap 