Yesterday Kiernan was doing something or other, and as he is wont to do he asked me to define a word that had been rolling around in his head. He usually won't let a word he doesn't know go by when we're reading to him, or even talking to him. But sometimes he will let a word he's come across just percolate in his brain and then at some random moment will ask what it means.
"Dad, I have a question."
"Go ahead."
"What does paradise mean?"
I paused, then asked, "Where did that come from?"
He just shrugged.
I thought for a moment then said, "It's the most wonderful place you can imagine."
He thought for a moment and replied, "Dad, school is paradise."
I smiled and said something about what a nice thing to say that was. "I'll be sure to tell Teacher Stephanie you said that."
I went to help him wash his hands and as I did he suddenly sang, "Welcome to Paradise..." and then the light went on. I had been singing the song, "Welcome to Paradise"* a couple days before. Just as I was going about doing my thing. I think I was breaking down boxes for recycling or something, and he was helping put the cardboard in the blue bin. I don't know the song that well, so I was mainly just humming and singing the title words over and over. He stored this in that brain of his, kicked around with for awhile, and days later asked me about the word.
Just wanted to share that.
[*The song is by the group Green Day. I considered embedding a video of them performing the song here, just for fun, but it doesn't really fit this blog. Plus I think Billie Joe yells out a naughty word at one point. So here's a link to the video if you care to hear the song. The performance is at a reading festival, of all places.]
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