I drawing guns!

I drawing guns! she cries, all two and half years old, head bent over the orange felt tips, dribbling onto her abstract spotlike weaponry.
'Guns. GUNS! Fight.FIGHT! Men. Aeroplane. YES!OH! I DO MORE GUNS'
Two things sprung into my head listening to this soliloquy- firstly the realisation she is not a baby any more. She's a young lady, who likes wearing her plastic princess heels while on the trampoline.
She's a intellectual sponge, collecting all the language she hears, storing it in that super-computer toddler brain of hers and then stunning us all by pronouncing it wrong at the appropriate moment.
She's a copycat, primariy of her brothers (especially when if comes to her chosen art subjects) - so much so if she lived in another part of the world she'd probably be a fully paid up member of the NRA.
She's physically more person-like - her previously squidgey babyfat legs are now covered in a not-so-fine layer of dark hairs. 
She likes what she likes - copying the boys play, driving the dolls around in pushchairs, cooking with mum and wrestling with Dad. She also likes to sing grace at dinner, washing floors, and chatting.
She's a member of generation-i. This is most evident in her potty training - she'll only plant that butt and perform if she gets her hands on the iphone at the same time. 'Want play FRIV' she demands sitting at the iMac. She swipes the pages of a glossy magazine and says - Ipad - broken!'
(I have a spasm of fear - what is the world going to look like when she's in charge - will it be full of pocket supercomputers, and guns that look like orange spots?)
Which brings me to the second thing I am reminded of. On a page in Pennie Brownlee's website are two handwritten posters. Both gentle reminders to parents.  One says 'Do Not Disturb, I am about the sacred task of playing, i.e. I am unfolding my genius within' (which makes me feel reassured the gun battle is just another day at play). The second poster points at me and reads 'YOU are the model of emotional nurturing and trust'. (Which reminds me to a. rolemodel the person I want her to become, and b. cancel my NRA membership).

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5year olds know it all

'Mum, you are not the boss of the world' says our newly minted five year old, just randomly needed to inform me over his egg and bacon pie. (Well, I guess that's what happens when you turn five and start school - three days into education for the masses and suddenly you know it all) - he continued: 'Mary is'. 'Do you mean Mary the mother on Jesus? ' I asked, incase he was meaning my friend Mary (who is admittedly an amazing woman). 'Mary is Jesus's mum. She is the boss of the world, even the boss of God.' he said, all with an air of finality that could only mean he had had his first religious education class. That's that myth blown, I thought, only tooth fairy, Santa and the 'fact' that the television only works on rainy days to go. He's taken to school like a duck to water - 'I love school, ' was this morning's report -' You get to play on the play ground TWO times every day. Its not dumb like he (indicating Big Brother) said' (Big brother immediately denied all knowledge, which shows he's not been wasting his near on 2 years in the education system, having at least learned the who,me?never face). It's been a big week for the new school boy- a birthday dinner with grandad and his cousins followed by a play centre leaving party then a Tranformers and Mice Party for 14 friends. He requested a ninja base gingerbread cake with flying ninja bread men all over it (And he actually got one, so maybe his mother is a bit of a miracle woman after all?). He also fulfilled a personal dream - to be Lego-rich. (thanks to bulk lot on Trademe). With all the celebrating and construction I told myself he'd be far too tired to actually start school until at least a week after his actual birthday. 'Are you happy' I asked him one night mid party season. 'I'm as happy as a gimbutt, he said. He's learned so much he's now making up his own vocabulary. Gimbutt- defn. As happy as a five year old in possession of a wristwatch, a thirst for knowledge, an edible ninja hideout and 6.6 kegs of Lego who has just discovered his mother isn't the most powerful person in the universe after all.