Curriculum, Art

UPDATE: M told me that I knew the interesting facts not because of the zoo visit but because she’d checked out a book that we read about zoo animals. And N knew all the facts, too–I should’ve had her answer the questions.

They’d pulled up in a nice red sedan and asked about schooling materials; they were doing an “internship” through a “college exchange program” and wanted to talk to the person in charge of schooling.

“We’re often referred to the mom; is she here?”

“No,” I said, “but I can speak for her.”

“Can we have a few minutes to talk about a curriculum, to get the kids ready for next year?”

“Well, we aren’t going to buy anything, and right now I’m in the middle of cleaning up a big pee mess in the bathroom, so now isn’t a good time.”

“Maybe I can interest you with a little known fact for the day: Do you know what makes flamingos pink?”

“It’s the food they eat,” I said. “Beta Carotenes, or something.”

“Oh, you knew that! How about this one: What is a rhino’s horn made of?”

“Hair.”

“Oh, you knew that one, too!”

“Yeah. We went to the zoo last week.”

“Do you know why bats hang upside down?”

“To sleep.”

“Well, yes, but it’s because they’re legs are too brittle. They just have claws.”

“Is that right? Thanks for stopping by.”

At this point N, who was playing out in the yard with some friends, walked over, in time to hear them ask me if there are any other families with children around who might be interested in talking with them.

“Not that I know of.”

They thanked me and got back in their car, and N whispered to me, “You didn’t tell them about our cousins down the road.”

“I know,” I whispered back. “I don’t want them to know about them.”

She grinned.

Just for fun, here are some of N’s recent drawings: