Sparkling Conversation

Mr. Destructo is becoming quite the little conversationalist.  He actually seems better at it than Penguin Girl.  When we sit down at dinner, he will often ask Lorelei what she did at school.  He may also ask us all in turn, if we had a fun day or what we think of the food.  He's also turning into quite a polite child.  He is frequently ready with a big, "Thanks!" when you give him something and when he goes to bed at night, he's gotten into the habit of telling us thanks for something we did for him during the day.  Thanks for cooking, Dad.  Thanks for science museum, Mom.

The other night I went to see a documentary called Play Again.  It introduced several typical teens who are very much plugged in to modern technology:  cell phones, television, video games, computers.  They spend the vast majority of their time indoors partaking of screentime.  The film followed them on a camping trip that had an Outward Bound feel.  One of the ideas in the film was that with kids spending so much time indoors with their technology, they are just completely disconnected from the natural world and have no appreciation for it.  If they have no appreciation for it, we cannot expect that they will care about preserving the environment when they are adults.  It was a very good movie.  

When I got home, Car Guy had just finished putting Mr. Destructo to bed but the little guy had been asking for me so I went to say good-night:

Me:  (I turn on his light as I walk in the room.)

Mr. D:  (Sits up.)  Where go, Mom?

Me:  I went to see a movie.

Mr. D:  Oh.  Dinosaurs in it?

Me:  No, no dinosaurs in the movie.  There were kids in the movie.  Kids who were outside.

Mr. D:  Oh.

Me:  Are you going to go to sleep now?

Mr. D:  (Lays down and I cover him with his blanket.)  Sleep, wake up, get candy, hot nai!*

Me:  Ok!  Want to give me a kiss?

Mr. D:  (Gives a kiss.)  Thanks for lunch, Mom!

*We have a Halloween countdown house.  This is a must for my Halloween Boy.  It's a house with a little door for each day of the month.  The Halloween Fairy comes each day and leaves a treat.  Sometimes it's a sticker but it's often candy.  This year is the first time that Mr. D is participating.  He very much enjoys the candy.  Apparently he looks forward to finding candy behind the door and that rates as highly as his morning ritual of warm milk, which he calls hot nai.