A Story By Molly

This summer Molly has been very creative and has taken up a love for storytelling. This is a snippit of a story she dictated to Grandma Cindy. Frightful...this glimpse into the mind of a six-year-old..

"As I was a baby my parents died when the American’s came. But, someone adopted me when I was just a baby so the whole days went through. Then once I was growing I found a good boyfriend that was just for me and we went for dates every day then we got married when I was 18. And then, my boyfriend said “what is going on, we are married?” I said, “What do you think is going on? We are teenagers that are just 18."

"And once we were about to be 20 we had to do something to find a house because we are getting so old we can’t live with our parents any more we have to find a house. Because if we don’t we will live with our parents forever and ever. Because if we live with our parents we won’t have our own house – we will just die in that house. Mom and dad we need our own house – because we can’t live here we are teenagers and we need to get our own life now. And now, we have our own house and our own life."

"Well we are married, going to school and we need to get our own money back from our mom and dad’s house and we already have our own house and go to school alone every single day even when bully’s come. When bully’s come we tell our teachers. But when we told the teachers the Bully’s told after the teachers. They don’t like being told on and getting in trouble. The teachers even get the bully’s back. The bully’s even killed someone in class."

"While we were married we had two thousand million babies then while we had those kids all of us had to change their diapers when they were a baby. They all had to go to school with us. We had a kindergarten and preschool in our school when they were only one. Lots of them went to preschool and only one went. We had lots of good times jumping up and down on the trampolines when we were together."

"All the babies had little small ones and the grownups had big ones. Theirs weren’t as jumpy and ours were real jumpy. And since ours were so jumpy sometimes we got stuck in a tree. We had to jump out and landed on our faces. And then we jumped back onto our feet and while we did that we had to do a triple flip. We were so talented we had go to the circus and while we were there it was lots of fun because it was so fun to be at the circus we loved to be there because it was so fun we wanted to see our kids do it too. They could never do it because this was our love date. When I met my grandma I was so filled with joy that I just had to leave with my boyfriend that never could leave me. Because we had our dream."

Big City Adventure

Today Molly visited a big city for the first time that she can remember and she learned that we certainly weren't in Montana anymore. Since I'm starting at Portland State on Monday we decided to head downtown and check out the campus. Molly and I parked and rode the rail transit system "MAX" into Portland. The ride downtown was uneventful except that Molly was AMAZED you could stand up on these trains and even walk while they were moving. She was not impressed however that I wouldn't let her try out walking while the train was in motion. I know, I am such a kill-joy.

Once downtown, we got off right at the PSU bookstore where we went in and did some shopping. After picking out some new highlighters (for Molly of course) and some PSU souveniers (like pom-poms...again for Molly, I swear) we headed out to find my classroom for Monday. This part became extremely bbooorrriiinnggg for a six-year old. Especially when I stopped to talk to someone in the Education Grad School Department. The eye-rolling was quite excessive along with the sighs.

After finally deciding Molly wasn't the best campus touring companion we headed out to find something to eat. Since we missed the train back north, I decided to hoof it the few blocks to the shopping center instead of waiting 15 minutes for the next train. Molly thought all the statues in downtown were scary and insisted on drinking out of the water fountains on the sidewalks, which I'm sure the health departments would deem "highly suspect". Then she complained that her "ribs and hips" hurt and asked if I'd carry her. Yeah, right.

We did make it to the mall, found the food court, and went up and down the escalators multiple times. I never realized how deprived a little girl from Montana could be since our mall doesn't even have one escalator. This activity proved to be the biggest hit of the whole day. However, our ride home from the city was truly more memorable for me.

On the train back, a man sat across from us that was literally eating a styrofoam cup. He had bits in the corners of his mouth and he was actually chewing and swallowing the thing. The more Molly watched him the closer she got to me until all of her six-year-old self was in my lap. Then, he started talking to himself and saying things like, "Stop talking to me."..."Leave me alone."..."I'm gonna kick your a**." Preceded by joking with his alter ego and then finally I heard him start talking about Molly referring to her as "That little girl." I didn't hear what "they" were discussing but I think it had something to do with the fact that her big brown eyes were staring at him with huge concern. I promptly decided that if he didn't bail at the next stop we would. Luckily, he stood up and departed. Unfortunately, his pants were around his knees and we had a full up-close view of his...underwear (thank God.) Molly informed me later that he was "totally freaky". She was totally correct.

Once arriving back at the car we had another surprise awaiting us. My car was COVERED in white spots. In a crammed parking lot, not one car around us had a speck of white on it. At first I thought I was a training target for a flock of geese, but now I'm not so sure I wasn't a target for a punk with white paint balls or something. I still haven't concluded this investigation. Luckily, the man parked next to me had windex on him and he helped Molly and I clean off all the windows on the van. While visiting I wasn't surprised to find out that this considerate stranger was born and raised in the one and only State of Montana. There is no place like home.

Bad Afternoon

Molly came home from school today and had a very rough hour. First, there was the "wishbone incident". We had saved a wishbone from the chicken we ate for dinner last night and she was ready for us to make our wishes and let fate decide who would be the lucky one. So, she picked a side and instructed me to grab the opposite one. Does every parent at this point try to determine which side looks weaker? Of course, we both picked wrong and I ended up "winning". I think it was less than a nanosecond before Molly was sobbing. "My wishes NEVER come true! My last wish didn't come true and now this one won't either!" Oh dear. I asked if she wanted to try again with the remaining stub on my big half. I was praying I could make it break her way, but she wanted nothing to do with it.

She stomped off into the kitchen and immediately ran into the living room and slapped CC's hand. CC was then in hysterics. I quickly asked Molly what that was about and she took her sobbing to another level and showed me her brand new book order stuff had been scribbled on in marker. I explained that it was sad, but that CC didn't know it was special to Molly, and that she shouldn't hit her. To my knowledge, I've never slapped Molly's hand...that I can remember...and certainly not without explanation. (Although booger picking and eating may have caused a hand slap before...certainly the thought has crossed my mind.) Anyway, Molly needed a "break" in her room to calm down.

After putting Molly in her room she looked at CC and screamed, "I wish you were never born!" Wow, that starts at six? I had no idea. Trying hard not to laugh, I slinked out of the room. After hearing Molly cry, "Why?, Why?, Why?", I could only wait a little longer for the, "Why, God, Why?!?" That never came, I guess God gets brought into it once she's seven.

I went back in to talk it out and CC followed me in. She tried to repair the damage with hugs and kisses but Molly wasn't impressed. Molly told me CC hurt her feelings and that I should do something about it. What exactly, sell her up the river? I'm sure Molly would've liked that plan. After CC's 50th attempt to win Molly over by repeatedly handing her a baloon, Molly couldn't help but laugh at her. If only it will be that easy in ten years. The only good part of all this was that Eddie was playing downstairs so he had a reprieve from the theatrics.

Talent Show

Last night Molly and I were off to her school's annual talent show. The first show was during school hours, but Molly's class was apparently behaving badly and they were not allowed to watch it. Therefore, Molly came home on a mission to attend the 6:45 show. I'm not sure if the teacher acknowledged that if she didn't take them the entire class would be begging their parents to come back that night. Molly of course held no responsibility for the classes behavior and stated that her and ONE other girl were behaving well...it was everybody else that was acting out. Uh, huh. I'm sure if twenty children were off the wall, you were only an innocent bystander. However, she is afraid of breaking rules, and since I have no letter from her teacher, I'm giving her the benefit of the doubt.

Upon arriving at school, we ran into a girl from her class immediately who was being dropped off on the curb. This friend ended up sitting by Molly and I'm pretty sure her parents fed her twelve cups of sugar for dinner. Wow, her stamina and energy were impressive. Luckily, once the show started she was coming down from her high so I didn't have to be that "mean mom". Anyway, Molly insisted on bringing a notebook to the talent show and I had no idea why, but saw no reason to argue. Once we arrived, she handed me the notebook and insisted that I take notes. Of course. How did I not see that coming. I wrote as she dictated and the following are her notes:

6:45 Talent Show
-Lots of People
-Too Many People, I can't hear
-Tons of kids, too many kids
-We are at a talent show in the gym at Hedges School
-Chicken Dance
-That song was nice
-5th graders danced in bathrobes and poodle skirts
-Boy and girl sang from High School Musical
-Girl sang while her Dad played guitar

After leaving the show I asked Molly what act was her favorite...she stated "The Bird Song" (that would be girl singing "Blackbird" while her Dad played Guitar). I then asked if she'd want to be in the talent show. She said she did and she wanted to do a dance routine with the lights out and the glow-in-the-dark jewelry. (There were two acts like this). We had a good time overall and saw some great acts by neighborhood friends, even if the event did seem to go on...and on.

I'm a Six Year Old!

Recently Molly informed us that she wanted the toy baby seat taken off her bike. She said it was TOO boring to have a baby doll riding behind her. That is something a four year old likes and, "Mom, I'm a six year old now!" So, off goes the baby seat and we are learning every day that she truly is getting older.

We are learning there are many things she's decided aren't "appropriate" for six year olds. I say, "Molly, you should brush your teeth before bed." Molly says, "Mom, brushing my teeth is not appropriate for me." You can see how this scheme has become very advantageous for her. She uses the "appropriate" excuse whenever she can. Another favorite thing she says is "what did you say that for?" This has taken the place of "what?"..."what?"..."what?" She used to say that so frequently we wondered if she had a hearing problem...turns out she just had a problem hearing us.

What I'm also learning about six year old girls is that they really can be "boy crazy". It seems insane, but there is a lot of talk in kindergarten about boyfriends already. Molly doesn't have one, that I know of, but she talks about them a lot. She went to a birthday party for one such boy in February and brought him a heart shaped box of chocolates for his present. I asked her if she'd be embarassed by giving such a gift and she insisted she wouldn't be embarassed and that he wouldn't be either. According to his Mom he was just happy to get candy.

Molly also received her first "number" when a boy wrote it down and insisted that her Mom call his Mom and set up a "play date". Molly was VERY excited about that, and being the slacker Mom that I am, I lost the number and never set up the playdate. Luckily she forgot because I am still not quite sure who his parents are or if he is being raised by wolves.

Speaking of wolves, six year olds also require the telling of "the boy who cried wolf". They require it told not just once, but many, many times. After I finally turned into my mother and spouted the tale of the lying shepherd, Molly required it to be retold at least every other day. Sometimes because she just likes the story, other times because she insists that her little sister is about to try a stunt that really gets me moving, like jumping off the top bunk. That of course hasn't happenned, but Molly really likes to tattle, whether or not the tattle is actually justified.

Being that I've also turned into a "slacker blogger" I can't promise regular posts, but I will try. This is just a few accounts to get me back in the mode and hopefully there will be lots of six year old anecdotes to share, even if Grandmas are the only ones reading this!