Overheard

Whether it's the supersonic hearing that is automatically activated when one's offspring is on the loose or the power of clear, youthful lungs, I frequently hear Sophie's conversations with her neighborhood friends as she plays outside. Here are two conversations heard this weekend:

Conversation Number One: On Crushes

Neighborhood Friend One: Sophie, put your hands out.

Sophie: Like this?

Neighborhood Friend One: No, like this.

Sophie: Okay. (Is silent. I suppose she's figuring it out.) Like this?

Neighborhood Friend One: Yes. (Speaking quickly) Who's your crush? Who's your crush?

Sophie: (Laughing) Owwwwwwwwwwwwwwww! That hurts!

Neighborhood Friend One: Who's your crush? Who's your crush? Who's your crush?

Sophie: (Still laughing) Owwwwwwwwwwwwww! Stop squeezing my fingers!

Neighborhood Friend One: Tell me! WHO'S YOUR CRUSH?

Sophie: This is so funny!

Neighborhood Friend One: But who's your crush? Who's your crush? WHO'S YOUR CRUSH?

Sophie: Owwwww! (Shrieking) But what's a crush? Is it something funny?

Neighborhood Friend One: (Sounding deflated) Oh never mind.

Pipo would be terribly happy about how that conversation turned out. I was quite amused.  Mental note to self to explain to her what a crush is. She has crushes, quite a number of them actually, but doesn't know what they're called. 

Conversation Number Two: More on Crushes

Neighborhood Friend Two (Who is older than her by two months): Sophie, who do you like? Edward or Jacob? I have a crush on Edward.

Sophie: Oh, I like Jacob. (Huwhaaaaattt? But I never --) Jacob was my classmate in my old school. (Oh. She did have a classmate named Jacob. I let out a sigh of relief.)

Neighborhood Friend Two: (Impatiently.) No, I meant Edward and Jacob in TWILIGHT.

Sophie: (Puzzled) Twilight?

Neighborhood Friend Two: (Disdainfully) You mean, you never watched Twilight? All of my friends have watched Twilight.

(Sophie is silent. Oh no. Has her self-esteem taken a blow because of her lack of knowledge in teenybopper pop culture?)

Sophie: (Cheerfully) Nope. I watch the Sound of Music.

Neighborhood Friend Two: (I imagine her wrinkling her nose.) The Sound of MUSIC? 

Sophie: It's a great movie! (Singing) When you know the notes to sing, you can sing most anything! (I hear her skipping around the compound, effectively ending the conversation. I breathe another sigh of relief.) 

Right now, I can hear them all belting out Rolling in the Deep by Adele. Good grief. Do they even know what they're singing about? As if reading my mind, her happy voice pierces through the chorus of voices -- 

Sophie: I love this song! It's so happy!

I laugh and wipe my forehead. At least she doesn't. Whew. Okay kids, as you were. And dear, dear Sophie, please don't grow up so fast. Your pace is just fine :-)