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Home -> Columnists -> What's the Matter With Mommy?

What's the Matter With Mommy?

Free association nation.

By Kelley Cunningham

November 13, 2006


“Mom, do we have our own gravitational pull?”

“I don’t think so.”

“Why not?”

“We just don’t…”

“I’ll ask Dad.”

“Are you studying gravity in…”

“Mom? Can I get the happy meal?”

“No…last time you complained when you got the girl toy.”

“But I won’t this time, Mom.”

“Forget it.”

“Mom, can I take my Ninja sword to school?”

“No.”

“Why not?”

“No toy weapons are allowed in school.”

“Well, that sucks.”

“Hey! Watch that language!”

“Dad says it.”

“Well, he shouldn’t.”

“Mom? Do aliens have ATM cards?”

“What?”

“What do aliens do, besides suck your brains and stuff?”

“Well, I guess they…”

“Mom, everybody hates me at school.”

“Everybody?”

“Well, A LOT of kids do.”

“Really? Who hates you?”

“All the girls.”

“All of them?”

“Well, maybe it’s…Emily.”

“How do you know?”

“She said that I like Barney videos.”

“You don’t like Barney videos.”

“I know, but that’s why I think she hates me.”

“When did she say this?”

“In line at recess.”

“Do you think she was just teasing you?”

“I guess.”

“I don’t think she hates you. It may mean she likes you. It’s funny, but sometimes when…”



“Mom, can I go to space camp?”

“What’s space camp?”

“A camp where they teach you space stuff and rocket stuff.”

“Where did you hear about it?”

“On TV.”

“Well, if you see it again find out…”

“Mom? What’s the worst job in the world?”

“Mom?”

“MOM!”

“I’m thinking.”

“Is it cleaning out Porta Potties?”

“Well, that would be one…”

“Mom? How do girls pee?”

“Um, well… um, just like boys but…”

“GIRLS DON’T HAVE PENISES!”

“Yes, dear, I know, but…”

“Hey Mom! Look! The letters are burned out on the Payless Shoe Source sign and now it says Less Shoe S!”

“Hey, that’s pretty funny!”

“Why is that funny?”

“Because they’re a shoe store with fewer shoes…um, never mind.”

“What’s fewer mean?”

“Less. Not as many as before.”

“Before what?”

“Never mind.”

“Mom? Can I wear my race car driver suit to bed?”

“I guess.”

“Where is it?”

“I don’t know…in the laundry?”

“Can you find it for me?”

“Nothing would give me more pleasure.”

“Mom? Can I get a motorized scooter?”

“No way.”

“But I could go to the store for you if I had one.”

“You’re seven years old.”

“So? How old do you have to be to ride a scooter?”

“I don’t know.”

“Can we look it up?”

“No.”

“Why not?”

“You’re NOT getting a motorized scooter.”

“I’ll ask Dad. Mom? Can we play Bingo tonight?”

(Sigh)

“Can we?”

“We’ll see.”

“That means no. How about Monopoly?”

“No.”

“Why not?”

“It takes too long.”

“You never want to play any games with me.”

“What do you mean? We just played Connect Four for a whole…”

“Mom, what does a cork taste like?”

“Cork.”

“Hahahaha! That’s a good one, Mom!”

“Thank you.”

“You tasted a cork?”

“No.”

“Then how do you know?”

“What made you think about …”

“Mom? Can you bring me to the eye doctor?”

“Why? Are you having trouble seeing the blackboard?”

“What’s a blackboard?”

“What the teacher writes on…with chalk!”

“Hers is white and she uses markers that stink.”

“Oh, well, are you having trouble seeing it?”

“No.”

“Then why do you want…”

“Mom, what does 'futile' mean?”



Need more Kelley? A hefty collection of her great essays, What's the Matter With Mommy?, is now available on Amazon.com.




Kelley Cunningham is a writer, award-winning artist, weekend poet, and an art director in children's publishing. Her work has been published in Brain,Child, Mamalicious, and The Funny Times. She has illustrated five books for children. A sampling of her amazing art talent can be seen at her website. Kelley lives in Pennsyltucky with her three wonderful sons.

2 Responses to "Free association nation."

1. Angela Golden

Nov 15, 2006 17:56

I couldn't stop laughing. It was like listening to a conversation with my four year old son. Ever since he started Pre- K, he is more inquisitive than ever, and admittedly, it drives me a little crazy sometimes. Most of the time I just laugh and tell him how lucky he is to have a mom that encourages his imagination.

2. Kimberly

Nov 29, 2006 11:16

So it's NOT just my kid! I swear, I have this same type of conversation on a daily basis with my 7-yr-old daughter. The speed and direction of the questions she throws at me makes my head spin. I love it that she's such a curious sponge.

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"Try as hard as we may for perfection, the net result of our labors is an amazing variety of imperfectness. We are surprised at our own versatility in being able to fail in so many different ways." -- Samuel McChord Crothers