Kids Talk

[telling Daniel about the treasure chest I’m making him (he’s having a pirate-themed birthday party) and that he’ll have to be careful not to lose the key] Martin: … and you won’t be able to open it. Daniel: unless we get a (eyes go wide) skeleton key! Laura (not really paying attention until now): Who’s…

(after burying Debbie’s feet firmly in the sand at the beach) Laura: Ha! Now you can’t go to work!

Laura: Mummy, what happens when the angels take the bad dreams away? Deb: Maybe they float up into space. Laura: But what if they come back down again? Daniel: No, don’t worry Laura, they stick to Mars.

Daniel: Mum, we need to do more to save the Australian bushes. Some of those bushes are really very nice.

Daniel (regarding what we would euphemestically call ‘reflux’): I’ve got a sign inside my body that says “go down and don’t come up” but sometimes it doesn’t work.

Laura: Mum, don’t step on that mushroom! The ants need it to be shady from the sun!

Laura: How do the puddles go away after it rains? Oh, I know, the birds drink them!

Laura: I want to be a fairy when I grow up. Daniel: Fairies aren’t real, Laura. Laura: Well actually, I want to be a ballerina. Daniel: I want to be a superman. Because superman saves all the good people from the bad guys like John Howard. [ I guess the dinner-table political talk is leaving…

After having a very in-depth conversation with his Nanna (my mum), Daniel says to her: Would you like to speak to Martin Gleeson now? [He is very fascinated with the “real names” of people like his parents and grandparents].

Laura is listening to her “Fairy Stories” CD and book. She is sitting in front of the stereo and Daniel is near me at the table. Laura: Dad, can you please turn it up? I can’t hear it. Daniel (without even a pause): Dad, all girls can’t hear things. It’s very complicated.