Low present expectations

We got this really cool present for Gwenchik and I couldn't resist and asked if we could give it to her before Santa flies in.
Gwen: You didn't get me a math book as a present, did you?
Me: ?
Gwen: Well, OF COURSE, I would be happy with the book... but mom, what kind of parents give a math book to their child for a holiday! When I grow up and have kids, I will never give books that you need to learn from as presents!
......
What does it say about us as parents if our child automatically expects getting a math book as a present? Of course we didn't dissuade her from her erroneous notion, but it was nice that even though she was disappointed, she still tried to pretend that she was happy with the present, just to please us. She is really sweet and I can't wait to see her face once she actually gets her present. :)

Santa presents

Gwen: At school everyone knows that there is really no Santa and all the presents are bought by parents, which is kind of sad.
Me: Well, of course parents buy presents as it is a holiday, but Santa brings some too.
Gwen: Than why no one ever seen him? How can he really exist?
Me: He is a magical being, you know. So the entire point is to appear ONLY when everyone is asleep or not around.
Gwen: Ha, so no one really knows the truth, right? Do not tell anyone, but that means that I will get more than one present, right? You, Dad, Santa -- as least three.....

Motherland

As we are walking home from school Gwenchik proudly recounts her Spanish class geography lesson. They had a giant map on the wall with all the continents in Spanish.

Gwen: In school everyone knows that I am Russian. Actually  ---  the only Russian, I think.

Me: Yes

Gwen: So everyone was wondering what was that huge orange blob on the map -- and I was like, "oh, that is Russia -- pais mas grande del mundo!" Now EVERYONE is envious of me. 

Monopoly

Gwenchik begged me to play "Monopoly" with her for a long time as I am not a fan of the game. As she is losing and finally lands on one of my streets with a hotel on:

Gwen: I can't believe it. You wouldn't help your ONLY daughter!
Me: Well, you can mortgage your railroads or streets and I can help you calculate...
Gwen: YOUR ONLY daughter and you want to charge ME rent!
Me: It's a game, as you well know. Do you want me to give in?
Gwen: No. But when I grow up and have a daughter I will not WIN in "Monopoly" against her. I always, always win against Dad, as he doesn't know how to play. Why, why, why do you win in the game you do not even like?

Shorting money

At this point, from her birthday presents and several summer yard sales Gwenchik has about $200 in cash. About a week ago when her grandmother came to pick her up  and realized that she forgot her wallet Gwenchik generously offered the money that she has to grandma.

Gwenchik brings her new wallet that she got for her birthday and pulls out her riches -- $200. However all the dollar bills look weird -- much shorter than normal.
George: What is wrong with the dollar bills?
Gwen: Well, when I took the money from the envelope and transferred it into my new wallet the bills just wouldn't fit, so I cut the sides off. You see how nicely they fit now?

Reality-fiction

Lately Gwenchik likes writing -- in her diary, in numerous notebooks spread all over the house. As we driving to math class Gwenchik is reading aloud her new short story about a girl named Gwen and her dragon.
Gwen: ... girl named Gwen and her birthday was in September, when she turned 8 years old.
Me: So this is a story about you?
Gwen: Well sort of, but not really. It is like reality-fiction genre.

Yellow belt!

Today Gwenchik got her yellow belt! Quite unexpectedly, as the testing was set for middle of December -- so we are very proud of her. I suspect that for the next belt she would need to break a board.

Nice to be a girl

Walking around Central Sq in Cambridge ...
Gwen: It is nice to be a girl.
Me: Why do you think so?
Gwen: Girls can wear skirts or pants, their hair long or short and any jewelry and NOT  look weird.

Kids

Gwen: When I grow up I do not want to have kids.
Me: Why?
Gwen: It is painful for them to be born and than they do not really listen to their parents... so what is the point anyways?

Death

Today died Betta fish that Gwenchik got for her birthday. She cried, and cried, and cried... she felt responsible as she sort of neglected it, though, I suspect that the fish was, unfortunately sick, to begin with.

Life and fun

Gwenchik was working on a math problem and George explained that she really needs to solve it first before going to a Halloween city festival, as math is more important that festivals.
Gwen: But festivals are fun. What is the point of living if you do not have fun? Don't I only live once?

What good is an uncle?

When Gwenchik was really young, we were trying to discourage her sticking out her tongue at everyone everywhere and agreed that she could only do it to her uncle Roddy, but to him as much as she wanted to. He would visit once or twice a month and she would stick out her tongue, but for the rest of the time she would have to hold it in.

Today Gwenchik was reading comments left by her uncle.

Gwen: Next summer I should go to Russia to visit my grandparents and my uncle. Lately I feel like sticking out my tongue, but I can't. I can't stick it out at you, because you will get upset; I can't at school, because this is inappropriate. So my only recourse is my uncle and he is far away in Russia.

The judgment of Paris

I was cutting George's hair this morning.
Gwen: Why are you cutting Dad's hair?
Me: I like it when he wears it short, it looks neater.
Gwen: But why does he have to cut it? Only because you like it that way? I like him with longer hair. And now that winter is coming it is better to have longer hair, isn't it?
George: I want the hair cut that your Mom likes.
Gwen: That is not fair. You should listen to the person who spends more time with you and has to look at you more. And that person is me!  You drive me to school in the morning and when you get home from work you play board games with me -- all you do with Mom is sleep and how does that count?

Why kids lie...

Gwenchik saw a chapter in the book "Nurtureshock: the new thinking about children" a chapter heading "why kids lie" and was surprised that people write books about it.
Gwen: Isn't that obvious?
Me: Do you know why?
Gwen: Of, course. Firstly, they lie not to get caught doing something bad; secondly, kids lie to not upset their parents; and thirdly, kids lie because they think that they can get away with it. Why is the book so thick?

Always 30 years

Gwen: How come in your diary you write pages and pages of stuff and I only wrote four sentences?
Me: Well, I started writing when I was your age, around eight years old, and now I am thirty eight, so I had many more years to learn how to write in my diary.
Gwen: So you will ALWAYS be thirty years older than me? That is a bit sad....

Risk taking

We went to the ocean during high tide while on the Cape. Gwenchik rushed down to the water rolling up her pants as she ran along.
Me: Gwenchik, please be careful and watch out for waves.
Gwen: I do not want to. I LIKE taking risks, because it is an adventure. I need more adventures in my life! Also you are here so nothing can happen to me, right?
........
8 years old -- needs adventure???

Beloved Munchkin

Well, Munchkin is our game of choice now. After our first tournament, there is a lot of improvement -- she doesn't get upset, actually reads the cards and starts to strategize! Played two games yesterday and two today. Each day she won one game, so she is very satisfied :)

Overflowing day

Gwenchik did her math homework in the morning, than went to Tae Kwon Do to test for a green stripe on her belt (she got it) and off to MIT to celebrate with Mexican food. Than we lucked out and managed to bike along the Charles river for 2 hours before it started to rain. Back home we organized our first kid-friendly board game  of "Munchkin".

Every Saturday seems to be overflowing with activities, so tomorrow just math and recovery time :)

Secret language

At her Tae Kwon Do class at the end of sparring partners have to bow to each other and say "kamsamida"
Gwen: Mom, I think I am the only one who knows that "kamsamida" means "thank you" in Korean (she picked up a few Korean words from our movies and travels)
Me: Isn't it great to understand another language?
Gwen: Well, actually I do not like when people understand Russian, because than I no longer have my "secret language". And it is so nice to be able to have secrets and only share with chosen few -- makes me feel spacial.
.....
Ahh, in a short time she would probably want the opposite, to blend in, so it is nice that she appreciates knowing another language right now.

Birthday party behind us

Gwenchik's 8th birthday celebrations are over now. This year she had three of her friends for a sleepover (they only settled down around 11:30 pm) and next day another 14 or so friends for a lunch party. The weather refused to cooperate (second time in 8 years, so can't really complain) so our plans for the outdoor party with "capture the flag" theme failed miserably.
Friday evening I came up with about 10 games we could play indoors and it turned out to be a blast. We didn't even manager to play all of them before kids had to leave... It is so stressful, but I love these parties as I get to feel like a kid again :)