KungFu Panda

Gwenchik has been taking Karate classes and lately all the kids talk about is Kung Fu Panda.
So finally we got a copy and set down to watch...

Once the Panda was selected as the Dragon Warrior.
Gwen: I feel really sad.
Me: Why?
Gwen: Because the Furious Five worked all their lives, and Panda just got what they all wanted without doing anything. That is not fair!

....

Me: So which of the characters did you like the best?
Gwen: Tie Lung --the bad guy, because he was the best one at Kung Fu, he was tricked.

Glasses=male

This morning we are all preparing our costumes: Gwenchik --a witch, I am-- Facebook, with a cardboard computer cut out, and George -- domestic fairy with a wig, wings and tutu.

Gwen: Daddy, you look funny, as you are not a girl.
Me: How do you know for sure he is not a girl?
Gwen: He always wears glasses!

.......
True the majority of males around our household do wear glasses

Geography lesson

I am tucking Gwenchik in bed.

Gwen: You are the best Mom in the whole world! No better, in the whole America! America is bigger than the whole world, right?

Koschei the Deathless

My daughter is running into the house holding a CD and is full of excitement

Gwen: Mom, there is an opera where Koschei the Deathless is singing! can you believe it, actually singing? You have to listen!
....
and than she spent the next half hour dancing and signing while listening to the opera of Koschei the Deathless -- typical bad character in Russian fairy tales.

Fair punishment

Gwen: Why do I get these strict punishments (no cartoons for a week) for really bad behaivior in school, while other kids don't. That is not fair!

After some explanation about what is or not fair and how not learning to behave properly with your teachers will have larger ramifications later in life...

Gwen: I guess, it is sort of good, that you are strict. At least I get to help with selecting the punishment, other kids do not.

Questions

Gwen: Mom, how do you know that we are not the movie?
Me: What do you mean?
Gwen: Well, are we real or something imagined by someone else, like Cinderella cartoon? She probably doesn't know that she is a cartoon if you ask her, right?

More of us...

Gwenchik got back home and run to tell me:

Gwen: Mom, there is another Gwyneth in the world! She is the new girl at our school!
Me: Great
Gwen: You know she even looks like me; the eyes, the hair. There is more of us out there.

Already five

Bright and early this morning...

Gwen: Mom! I am five years old today!
Me: Yes
Gwen: And then I'll be six, seven, eight --- and then you'll be so old

Skeptics: Fairytales and Dreams

Gwenchik was grumpily snuggling up in bed. To cheer her up...

Me: You know, if you go to sleep in a grumpy mood, even if Oley-Lukoe visits you tonight he will probably only bring his black umbrella.
Gwen: He only exists in fairy tales, so it doesn't really matter.
Me: Well, how do you really know he doesn't exist?
Gwen: When I sometimes come up to you room at night, I do not see him there.
Me: He probably hears you coming up and hides.
Gwen: Mom, he doesn't exist! He has no place to hide! He has a huge umbrella, right?

Not even 5 yet and already a skeptic.
.........................
For those of you that do not know, according to the fairytale, Oley-Lukoe visits kids at night and if they were naughty, he opens a black umbrella, which does not bring any dreams. However, if kids behaved well, he opens a multi-colored umbrella, which brings wonderful, magical dreams.

Be prepared for anything

From George
On the way to the playground, Gwenchik drew my attention to several long sticks she had leaned by our back door.
Gwen: Do you know why these are here?
Me: No...
Gwen: Well, in case some creature, like a dragon, should attack us in our house. If a dragon comes, I will take a long stick and poke it right in the eye.
Me: Yes, I'm sure it would never expect us to have long sticks with us in our house.
Gwen: Daddy, why aren't you taking a long stick with you?
Me: I'm hoping we don't meet any dragons or other fierce creatures on the way to the playground.

A bit later, we are walking by a wall decorated with cement lion sculptures.
Gwen: Look, Daddy, lions! I told you we should have brought our sticks!

The truth, so young

From George
Gwenchik asked me to tell her a fairy tale about a princess and a prince that fall in love and get married. So, a dramatic meeting and some requisite adventures later, the key moment arrives.
Me: ... and then, the princess and the prince looked deep into each others' eyes, and said they loved each other.
Gwen: No, no! The boy is supposed to fall in love with the girl first. And the girl isn't supposed to until later.
Me, shocked: Where did you hear that?
Gwen: It's just true. Now tell the story the right way!

Want to be a Mommy

Gwenchik was playing with her dolls.

Gwen: I can't wait to be a Mommy!
Me: Why?
Gwen: So I can make all the decisions!

Penny sharing

During an evening walk I found a penny and gave it to Gwenchik for her piggy bank.

Gwen: Well, another penny! Now mom do not worry, when you get really poor I will give you my piggy and we can live off that money.
Me: Hopefully, we wouldn't have to do that.
Gwen: Yes, I still need more pennies, right? We do not have enough?

Stop time

From George
While putting Gwen to bed:
George: Look at the clock. See, we only have fifteen minutes for you to finish, brush your teeth, get changed, and get in bed, so if you want your story, you'll have to hurry.
Gwen: Papa, why don't we break the clock? Then we'll have all the time we want.

Lucky

From George
When coming to meet Gwen on Cape Cod, I drove in after dinner. Gwen ran over, jumped on me, hugged me....

Gwen: Papa, you're so lucky! We're already done with dinner, so you get to have dessert without eating real food first!

Chocolate

Just got back from Cape Cod, where Gwenchik spent the last month with my parents playing in the ocean, running in the sun and riding a pony. When I walked through the doors to pick her up (have not seen her for almost three weeks), she ran to me and wouldn't let go for a day. And the first comparison she did sitting on my lap and looking at my pale arms:

Gwen: Mom, you really have to lie in the sun for days and days to match my chocolate tan.
Me: I should, but I only have two days.
Gwen: Well, then you would have to spend all of two days on the beach and you might get to caramel. Of course, that is not chocolate, but you'll live.

Fable influence

On the way to a friends house while driving in the rain, Gwenchik said that she rally wanted a car with a sliding roof opening.

Me: Why?
Gwen: So that I can open my mouth and drink rain water while still in the car
Me: When you grow up and if you study well, you'll have a job that pays you lot of money and will be able to buy any car you want.
Gwen: Yes, but if I study well and have that job, that would mean I'll be rich, right?
Me: Well yes.
Gwen: I do not want to be rich, because Robin Hood will come and take it all away.
Me: You know this is a fable, and all of this happen long, long time ago.
Gwen: But in the forest....

Secret plan

In the evening, grandma is reading Gwenchik a book, but it is really late and it is time to go to bed.

Gwen: Mom, can't wait till tomorrow to find out the ending!
Me: Don't you want to read it yourself? You wake up really early in the morning and can do that, right?
Gwen: No, do not want to. Could grandma please, please read till the end?
Me: Ok, but what would happen when grandma returns back to Moscow?
Gwen: Well, I though and though about this and I still have time to come up with a plan to keep her here reading to me. I need a secret plan...

The eternal question

From George

Gwen: Whom do you love more mommy or me?
George: Both equally.
Gwen: Yes, but between the two of us, whom do you really love more?
George: Mommy.
Gwen: Well, than no one really loves me, right
George: I love mommy as my wife, and you as my daughter

... the later seemed to ease the suffering just a bit.

Daily recap

Lately Gwenchik have been having some discipline problems at daycare. So, now every morning we talk about how to behave during the day and then in the evening talk about how the day actually went.

Me: How was your day today?
Gwen: Sorry, forgot to keep my promise and didn't listen to the teacher.
Me: Do you remember why?
Gwen: Not really. What I do remember, was that after the nap, you know, when I got to rest and think about my behavior, I was really golden!