Brains are turning

Well, thats the closest thing I could come up with to express my thoughts in the form of a song title. (Beds are Burning)

We got Jenna’s MAP testing scores today. She is excelling in math and reading. Actually she is reading at a 3rd-4th grade level. The school year is only a month or so old and she is absorbing so much.

She was asking about Ali Baba and the 40 thieves. We were telling her that it was a story that was told over and over again. “How do you know?”, she asks. I asked her how she knows that Jesus rose from the dead…you wont believe this. (My best retelling)

“Because there were these two women who went to the tomb place where Jesus died, and then they saw the hole in the rock and he was not there.”

(Mouth is gaping open)

This child is clearly absorbing something from CCD. The point of the question was supposed to be something closer to “because thats what we believe”.

“Thats what the bible tells us”, she says. And the story gets better. I ask her if she knows the 10 commandments…

“Daddy, how about you ask me to name the seven continents instead?”

(Ok I’ll bite)

“North America, South America, Asia, Australia…”

Then we got forgetful, but I have a plan. Mommy gives her a hint about a very cold place, she gets Antarctica immediately.

“Jenna, I have a hint for you…”, (I start playing a song by Toto on my phone)

(A few seconds pass, intro only, no lyrics)

“AFRICA!!!”, she exclaims. Me very happy, but it gets better still…there is just one continent left. I start playing “The Final Countdown” on my phone…again, intro only for a few seconds, no lyrics and she shouts out “THE FINAL COUNTDOWN IS NOT A CONTINENT!!!”. I have been foiled, because she doesn’t make the connection but me still very happy…wishful thinking on my part. But she eventually figures it out – Europe.