Good question...

Driving back from our math class we were playing our usual word game: the next person has to call out a word that starts at the same letter as the previous one ended with.

We came across the word -- hymn and Gwenchik didn't know what that meant. So I tried to explain and even managed to sing a few lines of the old Soviet Union one that I remembered from childhood. And even though I know that the American one is "Star Spangled Banner" I couldn't remember it. Another word was labyrinth and again I was able to explain it, but then proceeded to tell the Greek myth about Theseus and Ariadne, but couldn't remember the finer points, just the main plot. So we agreed that once we get home we will ask Daddy about both the myth and the hymn and look it up on the internet.

Gwen: Mom if you do not know the American hymn and do not remember why Ariadne was locked with the Minotaur --- what do you know? When I grow up will I forget everything as well?

Pennies to the rescue

I had a really difficult day at work and came home really tired and discouraged. While preparing dinner with George we were discussing our options, one of which was for me to just walk away... Gwenchik was playing in her room, so we were surprised when during dinner

Gwen: Mommy, I want you to be happy! And I know you like working and need to work to make money.
Me: Yes, that is true.
Gwen: But if you do not like it anymore and can't work at Papa's fun place I have my piggy bank. I can give you all the pennies, so than you do not have to work and I will start collecting them again, and give them to you again.

Let's hope she remembers this in 15 years

From George
Apropos of nothing, over dinner:
Gwen: Papa, when I grow up, will you and Mama pick me a husband?
Me: Well, I don't know; most grown-up women want to pick their own husbands, not have their parents do it for them. We can help, I guess...
Gwen: But what if I pick a bad one? One that doesn't know how to drive, or doesn't want to clean the house, or something else? That's why I want you to pick one for me. You're parents, you know who will be a good husband, so you will be able to pick out the right one.

Skeleton

Santa brought Gwenchik a long awaited camera, so on Friday we went to MFA to catch a photography exhibit to learn what one can do with the camera. The picture that my daughter was the most an awe with was a portrait of a man from infancy to death in about 30 frames. She was just amazed!

Today, several days later:
Gwen: I will be very very old when you become a skeleton, right?
Me: Right.
Gwen: 20 years old and than I will become a skeleton as well. I need to start taking pictures now.

Presents from Santa

Gwenchik woke us up really, really early today and came rushing into our room jumping up and down.

Gwen: I got presents from Santa!!! And I got my CAMERA, real camera now so I do not need to behave well until the old new year. (we accidentally left all of the presents out not just the one)
.....

Traditionally, Santa brings one present on the first day of the year and another one on the way back to the North Pole, the old new year on the 13th, for really good behavior.

Gwen: Mom, and you got a really small box. Can this be a real present? What can possibly fit into such a small box? I thought you behaved well all year.

What is takes to be polite...

Yesterday Gwenchik forgot all her manners and at some point even tried to slam the door. That was the first one and she got grounded in her room. Later at dinner, I asked what happened to my polite adorable daughter

Gwen: Well, I get too many punishments! That is why I forget to be polite.
Me: But you only get punished if you misbehave, so if you do not misbehave, you do not get the punishment.
Gwen: Well, that is not right. If I get less punishments I will behave better!

Lists and gene pool

The first thing that Gwenchik did this morning once she got up was make a list. She carefully filled in a page with different tasks, like get dresses, right a letter to Santa, practice karate moves... than she ran to me to ask if there anything else to add to the list.

Gwen: And then as soon as I am done with the task, I can cross it off!
....

Now I am famous for making lists, but I do not think that my daughter actually ever saw me making one, so we thought there is an indisputable gene influence :)

Overcoming flaws

Gwenchik and I are going to a musical "Little Women" today. So before we go, I try to explain the gist of the story of four sisters and how each one of them struggles to overcome a major character flaw: Meg, vanity; Jo, a hot temper; Beth, shyness; and Amy, selfishness.

Gwen: How can you overcome a flaw?
Me: Hmm, for example if you are shy, you learn how to interact better with people
.....
Gwen: Mom, grown-ups will be running around on stage singing about being shy? That is just so silly

Nutcracker dilemma

Just went to see the traditional Nutcracker ballet.

Gwen: Mom, isn't it strange that prince the Nutcracker dances with Plum Fairy all the time and not with Clare. She was the one who threw the shoe to save him, but he just abandoned her.
Me: Well, they are visiting Plum Fairy's domain, so to be polite he has to dance with her...
Gwen: Oh, he probably really wants to dance with Clare, but has to dance with the Fairy. That is not fair.

Love, family

Gwenchik is counting days until her uncle is coming for Thanksgiving. She has been having problems with pronouncing "rrr" and has been practicing daily.

Gwen: He can listen to my new "rrrrrr" sound and play the game "set" with me! Oh, Mommy I love you and Daddy and uncle so much!! Actually all my uncles!

....

Oh, the precious moments

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!