Me: What’s today?
9 year old: My birthday.
Me: How does it feel to be a nine year old?
9 year old: I don’t know. I’ve only been awake for three hours.
Me: How do you know it’s your birthday?
9 year old: Because yesterday Mom told me that today is my birthday.
Me: Where are you?
9 year old: Poggibonsi, Tuscany, Italy.
Me: How will you be spending your birthday?
9 year old: Taking a train from Tuscany to Venuce, and then doing things there.
Me: What do you like to do these days?
9 year old: Play Lazer Tag. Um… I don’t know what else.
Dad: Who styles your hair?
Me: Wait, that’s not one of the questions. Okay, answer it.
9 year old: Your butts.
Me: That’s a 9 year old. What are your favorite books?
9 year old: That’s too hard to answer.
Me: What have you been reading lately?
9 year old: Artemis Fowl 2, 3, and 4.
Me: What are your favorite things to watch?
9 year old: Disney and Cartoon Network.
Me: What do you want to be when you grow up?
9 year old: Um, the complete opposite of her [points to Pie].
Pie: I thought you wanted to be a scholar.
9 year old: Yeah, a scholar.
Me: What are you looking forward to in 4th grade?
9 year old: Uh, next summer vacation.
Q: What are your goals as a 9 year old?
9 year old: I don’t know.
Me: What kind of scholar doesn’t have goals?
9 year old: I’m not a scholar yet! I have to go and study and… uh thingys.
Me: Any grand pronouncements?
9 year old: What’s a pronouncement?
Me: And I thought this would be the year I wouldn’t have to explain what a “pronouncement” is.
9 year old: Is a “pronouncement” something you say before an announcement?
Me: Sort of.
9 year old: Then no. I have nothing to say.
Happy birthday, Doodlebug!
Happy Birthday to Doodles! Wish we could go to Italy to celebrate with him but, we’ll have to wait until you are home.
Awesome interview. Wish I’d done this with my kids when they were younger. Now, they probably wouldn’t cooperate.