When I Grow Up…

Karen was invited to participate in a career panel for the deaf studies program at our alma mater.  Charlotte was very excited and very proud.  (Ok, I was, too.)  I somewhat foolishly brought the kids to watch. 

 

We sat in the back row so we could make a quick exit, if necessary.  (Oh, it was necessary.  Luke was more restless than usual.)  Charlotte kept trying to get Karen’s attention, waving proudly at her on a number of occasions.  She was also taking pictures.  She took a couple from the back before quietly making her way to the front and taking some more.  She was very serious.  It was adorable.

 

Charlotte probably would have made it through the event, but Luke clearly didn’t want to be there, so we took a few breaks and walked around outside the room where it was held.  Charlotte was not pleased: “But I want to watch Mom talk.”  Unfortunately, Luke really wanted to watch the dance troupe that was practicing in the ballroom across the hall.  So we watched them for a few minutes while we were waiting for it to be Karen’s turn to speak on the panel.  Charlotte kept running back in to make sure we weren’t missing her.

 

When I suggested that we might leave early, Charlotte was aghast –“But I want to watch Mom talk!”  (I know, Charlotte, I know.)  So watch Mom talk we did (despite Luke’s remonstrations and appeals to go home.  As usual, she was great.  (This is the second time she’s spoken on this panel, the first being four or five years ago.)  As we left (immediately after she finished her presentations), both Charlotte and Luke waved proudly, calling out “Bye, Mom.”  (Oh sure, now he was happy.)

 

I’m not sure if this is normal for an almost four year old, but Charlotte seems very career oriented.  She often discusses what she wants to be when she grows up.  For a while, after she and Luke had blood drawn for some tests, she wanted to be a ‘blood doctor.’  She tried to convince Luke to be a ‘blood doctor’ as well (which would be somewhat ironic since he cries uncontrollably whenever he sees a doctor, especially a ‘blood doctor.’)  Charlotte eventually decided he could be a ‘librarian’ (which, in her mind, also refers to a person who works in a book store). 

 

After a recent visit to Overlook Farm, a Heifer International Learning Center, Charlotte decided that she’s going become a farmer.  When I asked her what she would farm, she responded that she would grow corn and have pigs.  She then turned to her brother and said, “Luke, I want to be a farmer when I grow up, what do you want to be?”  Luke,as if often the case, was too busy to answer.  Undaunted, Charlotte suggested a firefighter (their uncle is a firefighter.)  Right now, if I had to guess, I’d say he was going to be a knight, or possibly a dragon.

 

Charlotte often starts sentences with “When I grow up…” or “When I get bigger”, usually in the context of things she can’t do right now but will be able to do “when [she] gets bigger.”  On occasion, either Karen or I will go out and do some grocery shopping after the kids go to bed.  For some reason, this seems to stand out in Charlotte’s mind, prompting her to say things like, “Luke, when we get bigger, after mom and dad go to bed, we’ll go out in the car, go to the store and buy things!”  (These types of declarations always end on a very excited note, as if to say, “Imagine that!”or “Can you believeve it!?”)

 

Charlotte turns four in June and, all of a sudden, she’s very focused on her birthday party.  Whenever the number four comes up, she’ll say, “Dad, I’m going to be four!”  The guest list is growing by the day (pre-school classmates, neighbors, family, etc.) 

 

 

When Karen pointed out that perhaps she was planning to invite too many people, Charlotte replied that some of them could wait outside (and, I suppose, be ushered in at an appointed time, at which point others would have to leave).

 

Maybe I’ll get to be one of the lucky ones who gets to stay for the entire party. 

 

I hope you enjoyed today’s serving of ‘mac and cheese.’