Sozlet stories

One thing I find fascinating is that she and her friends are really talking about politics. Evidently one table at her school is the designated peanut-free table. That's often shortened to the "P" table. (I snickered. She didn't. I have a more immature sense of humor than a second-grader, great.) She said that now they say that the "P" stands for "Politics," because they all talk politics there. (She doesn't have a peanut allergy but a friend of a friend does...)

I asked for details -- wondering what that meant -- and yep, they really do. One of the kids was allowed to stay up for the debate (I instantly liked her parents more) and gave her take on it. They're all pro-Obama. They swap stories about their neighbors*, and volunteering that they do, and events that they go to, and why they would vote for Obama if they could.

E.G. and I frequently talk politics at the dinner table. (Lest you think that's a no-brainer, he's really only gotten into it recently.) Sozlet's joining in more and more, and sharing stuff she's learned at the "P" table. Some of it is um NOT true (McCain will make everyone do 2 hours of homework a night!!) (I wondered if this was some parent's explication of No Child Left Behind... dunno), but some of it is quite interesting/ true/ insightful.

*Told this story on Observationalism -- a friend of hers has a neighbor who likes McCain but hates Palin. So the neighbor went ahead and put out a McCain/ Palin sign -- but crossed out the "Palin."

Related... I was talking to a friend about kids and politics (forget how it started). Her two boys are friends with sozlet, especially the older one, J. (J and sozlet are the same age.) My friend, on her way to saying something else, said "...and J's been for Obama for a long time because of sozlet..." and I was like wait, back up, BECAUSE of her? And she said "Oh yeah, she had a HUGE influence on him..." Evidently she was working on him from way back.

I said something to sozlet about that and she said "Yep, I've convinced a lot of people." Evidently her whole classroom is now for Obama -- but some of these kids' parents aren't!!! That shocked me a bit. The kid who has the neighbor with the altered McCain/ Palin sign is for Obama, now -- but his mom is for McCain!

Sozlet thinks her friend will convince his mom though.

Good lord. That girl's dangereuse.....

It seems Sozlet's persuasion skills are getting better and better. I say three years until she persuades her father to get her a puppy.

I know! I'm not sure whether to be proud or appalled. She assured me that she was respectful and not overbearing. "I just asked people what they thought and then talked to them, that's all." Hmm.

Thomas, hope you're right! (There's been continuing movement... E.G. saw some National Geographic special on dogs and was impressed. He said something quadruple-negative like "I'm not completely opposed to the idea of not continuing to not have a dog...")

This one's by sozlet request -- she wants me to post an email she sent me today. It's complete cut and paste, only added img tags. (I've been quite sick, starting to feel better but not there yet.)

*******************
Subject: Get Well Soon

These kittens are sorry you are sick:



he is so sorry he fainted!



he is just sorry





hope you like them!
-[sozlet]

Nice work, sozlet!

Hope you're feeling even better today, soz.

Me too.

Thanks guys! (Not all better yet, but improving...)

Randomish soundbite:

My friend trackmom was telling me about the conference she had with her son's teacher. (Trackmom's son and sozlet were in the same class in kindergarten but not since.) His friendship with sozlet came up somehow. Upon hearing sozlet's name, the teacher said, "Oh, I've heard of her..." (This cracked me up for some reason.)

Just heard this one, wanted to write it down before I forget...

Sozlet was talking about how "jinx" works, and reminded me that in addition to "12345678910 you owe me a coke!" the other person (jinxee) can't talk until the jinxer has said the jinxee's name.

Then she told me about something that happened today. She walked into class from elsewhere and saw a classmate getting in trouble for "being a chatterbox." They're allowed a lot of latitude, talking-wise, but this girl (R) was talking so much about random things that other kids at her table weren't able to get their work done, and were generally getting annoyed. So the teacher had just given R some sort of a mark (a punishment thingie, meaning five minutes off of recess) when sozlet came on the scene.

R was still having a hard time keeping from irritating her tablemates after the exchange. The teacher was casting stern glances in her direction. Then she (R) had to go to the bathroom. Sozlet did too. Then she sozlet had an idea. Upon seeing R in the bathroom, she said "Why are you here?" R, puzzled, said "Because I need to go to the... " at which point sozlet said, at the same time, "bathroom" and promptly jinxed her.



Sozlet didn't un-jinx R until the end of the day. And R stayed quiet! No more problems.

I asked sozlet whether R was annoyed and she said no. But she was happy when sozlet un-jinxed her.

I asked her whether she was helping R or the teacher and she said "both."

I'm not sure if every element of this story is completely factual but I thought it was interesting either way...

I'm glad sozlet uses her powers for good.

There is this sales guy next cubicle who keeps talking and talking and talking while I have to concentrate. Can Sozlet jinx him, too? Please?

You can! All you have to do is say something at the same time that he does, then yell "Jinx!" and count to 10 before he says "stop jinx." Simple!

Now, whether he obeys the rules of jinx is something else... (That's one thing I thought was interesting about this story -- that peer-imposed jinx rules were stronger than teacher-imposed "shhh" rules...)

Relayed to me in the course of a nightly "how was your day?" chat...

Sozlet, her BFF K, and her other good friend N were sitting on a bench at recess, just looking at the sky, not doing or saying anything. Skeptical/confused friend E came up to them:

E: What are you guys doing?

S,K, N, near-simultaneously: Thinking.

E: What are you thinking about?

S: Ham.

K: Cheese.

N: Bacon.

E: <shakes her head, walks off>

S,K, N,: <crack up>

Just got back from sledding. Sozlet, after a particularly good (fast + long) run:

"That was a quarter mile of awesome!!!!"

Kid just came up to me and said, "Wouldn't it be great if you could have anything you wanted the minute you wanted it?"

I allowed that would be pretty nice.

She said, "BUT, then there wouldn't be two things -- hope, and excitement."

I like this kid.

Sozobe,
Valuable and pertinent insight! It must be very exciting and gratifying to have this perceptive mind living with you, spinning off so many sparks.
A friend of mine who is an M.D. shrink told me about 20 years ago, in reaction to all the coke-abuse patients he was suddenly treating, "You know, the worst thing that could ever happen is the invention of a dirt-cheap euphoric drug which had zero side effects. The world would simply stop." Yes! To keep that hope and excitement coming, there must be obstacles and patience involved.