Conversations with Isabella

"When Daddy gets older and moves out, can we get a cat?" 
"Don't you want Daddy here? With us?"
"Well yes," she says, "but I really, really want a cat."
"So you want a cat more than you want Daddy to live here? Don't you think he'd be lonely if he lived by himself somewhere else?"
"Well, he could get a dog to keep him company," she says earnestly.

That makes me laugh out loud.

"What would make more sense is that when you grow up, and move out, you can get a cat wherever you live."

And then it hits me...I have said this to her before, and she has taken it to heart. In her 6 year old understanding of life, everyone grows up, moves out and gets the pet of their dreams (or in Isabella's case, she will voluntarily move you out so she can get the pet of her dreams.)

***

We are driving down the road when we pass a dead skunk. "Eeww!" I exclaim as I fumble to  close the car's vent. Of course this gets Isabella's attention and she asks to see the skunk.
"We already passed it," I say
"Can you show me where it is on our way home from school?" she asks
"Sure, "
"OR, maybe you could take a picture of it, and save it." she suggests
"I don't think I want a picture of a dead skunk," I tell her, " that's kind of gross."
There is a pause and then she says,
"Gross...yet interesting." 

***

In other dead animal news...

During her bath, Isabella says, "Today we saw a brown frog at school."
At least that's what I thought I heard, so I responded, "oooh, a brown frog, huh?"
"NO! I said, 'there was a DEAD GROUNDHOG at school' today."
"Oh that is different. Where was it?"
"In the field." And then came the REAL news..."Ellie, Karly, and Raegan went to red for touching it,"("Red" refers to the color-behavior chart they keep in class. Going to "red" is not good)
"You didn't touch it, did you?" I inquired.
"No, I didn't touch it, Ms. C told us not to touch dead animals."

I did not know that not touching dead animals was part of first grade curriculum, but I'm sure glad Mrs. C included such an important life lesson--and that Isabella listens to what Mrs. C teaches her.

***
As we are driving away from mom and dad's house...
"Ah, I already miss Nana and Papa, I wish we could live with them, " she says
"Oh, I know, but if we lived with them, then it wouldn't be special to visit them."
"NO, I still would really love to live there" (My consoling words could not convince her otherwise)
and then she leaves it with this little nugget:
"they are like my greatest treasures that can't fit into my treasure box"