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When your DD15 texts you from school, after class:

While enjoying this, it also brings to mind a recent story from world news. Have you seen any of the news articles announcing that China has banned puns? This is not a humor rumor, evidently some believe that word play may mislead children and bring about cultural and linguistic chaos.

A ban clearly doomed to failure, given the pervasive nature of punning in Chinese. Note the comment late in the article speculating that this is a preemptive strike on political commentary.

And word play requires some significant metalinguistic skills--something one would expect is to be cultivated in children.

while getting ready for bed, your three year old says: "Reading is like eating spicy food. When you first try it, it burns your tongue. But the more you have it, the better it gets."

PS: I've been reading this forum for a while but this is my first post. Everybody around me always gives me this odd, blank stare when I share the things my daughter says, so I've started keeping it all to myself. I am so thankful for this outlet and for an audience who understands.

One of my other favorites: A month before my daughter turned 2 she was drawing jellyfish, and I reminded her, "Don't forget to draw the tentacles." And she looked at me with disgust and said, "Mom, it's tendrils, not tentacles." I had to google tendrils. That's when I knew I was in for a really good ride.

When you take your children to the library and your DD6 spends the afternoon alternating between a high school level book on Black Holes and a Rainbow Magic book about fairies.

Coffee -- haha, yes!

She sounds like a really fun kid, thanks for sharing. I just learned Tendrils from her also!

I can relate

The whole family is under the weather. When DS3 saw I was succumbing to the family cold, he said, "Aww, Mama, I know what you need to feel better: more white blood cells! I'm going to make you hot chocolate like an adult, and I'm going to add macrophages to eat your virus cells and natural killer cells to poke holes in them to make them die."

Bless his heart.

This offer was closely followed by a request to, "please wipe my nose, Mama."

When you sneak to the library without the kids and bump into another woman loitering in the children's section also filling a wheeled suitcase. Definately knowing looks were exchanged