We had a local election today. There was a special vote for the elementary schools, where Ms. E could decide whether to have a BBQ or a pizza party at the end of school. Very cute lesson in civics and she took it very much to heart and voted with extreme seriousness.
Z was trying to pick up the clerk attending the booth:
"I go to preschool, where do you go? Do you like Transformers? Would you like to see my transformers sometime?"
Is it strange that a newly minted 5 year old would flirt with the voting booth attendant?
Not in our world.
The first time I witnessed him flirt was last November, when my parents were visiting and we stopped at a restaurant. We were seated by a bubbly, blonde waitress who cooed at the boy and gave us our menus. I looked at my son. He had a funny expression on his face and he said to me, "I think I love that lady."
when she came back, before she could ask anything, Z leans in towards her and said, in his most fancy voice, "So...do you like macaroni and cheese?... I like macaroni and cheese." and then, "Do you like Power Rangers? because I do. I like the Red Ranger." He was batting his eyes and tilting his head and giving her THE SMILE. The one usually reserved for whoever is about to give him a present.
"Oh! aren't you so cute!" Gushed the waitress. My baby brother loves Power Rangers too! What a cute little guy you are!!"
Right there was the end of that romance. Nobody calls Z cute. And nobody calls Z little. Nobody.
Anyway, I couldn't vote because I am not a citizen and E had some questions for me.
"How much of me is Canadian and how much is American?" she asked.
"Half of each." I reply.
"I think I am actually 3/4 American." She said, "Because I don't say "ZED" I say "ZEEEE"."
'Well, you are half American because half of your family comes from the States and half from Canada."
"What is "The States"?"
"It's another way of saying America. It's like a nick name."
And then she stops and looks at me and says: "Don't you nick name America!"
The guy walking out in front of us guffawed out loud.
