Say What?

Mary came home from school with a feather. She was delighted with it. She had big plans for it. When we walked into the house, she went to the planning desk in the kitchen straightaway. This is where the computer is as well as being the home to several drawers full of kid junk and old phone books well organized school supplies and art materials.

After rummaging around in the drawers a bit, I saw her head to the table with a little plastic tube of mechanical pencil leads. My own head was busy with thoughts of preparing dinner, so I didn't pay much attention. Mary sat at the kitchen table fully absorbed in her project and I proceeded to bang around the kitchen opening and closing cabinets and doors hoping that some sort of dinner would magically appear.

As my head was in the pantry, Mary said, "Mom, do you have any ink?"

I was up to my elbows in canned soup and spaghetti noodles and wasn't really paying attention. "What?" I responded.

"Ink!" she said. "I need some ink!"

"Like for the computer or an ink pen? What do you need ink for?" I quizzed as I eyeballed her from the pantry.

"No," she said with a disparaging tone. "I want ink! You know....INK!! I tried putting these pencil things into my feather, but that didn't work. So I need ink so that I can dip my feather in it and write with it..."

Ah! The light bulb went on in my head.

"...like when you were a little girl."

Do you think if I share with her that we didn't use slates at school and we didn't ride dinosaurs she'll believe me?