Conversation With a Budding Biologist

Those of you who know me at all, in real life or just in cyber space, know about Trinity, who is about 2 and 1/2. I cannot overstate what a blessing this little grandchild has been to her "Papa" and me. She is the bright spot in a very difficult few years, and she helps us look to the future with joy and hope. Today she was picking wildflowers in her yard with intense concentration. You can see it on her face in the picture. The pretty little flowers are called "Indian paint brush." Trinity is quite a conversationalist.

Here is a little of our conversation today.

Trinity: HELLO, Grandma! Come see my flowers. We have to pick them.
Grandma: We have to pick them?
Trinity: (With that look she gives me that says she wonders why I am so dense), Yes, Grandma. We have to.
G: Okay then, let's go. We walk out into her large yard and she takes me to the flowers. There are many. She points, with authority.
T: You pick here and I pick dose over dere.
G: Okay
T: Grandma, we need more. We gots to pick more.

After intense and focused flower picking:

G: I'll be right back. We need a glass to put these in.
T: Okay, Grandma. Thanks, Grandma.
G: Here you go.
T: What you gots for da flowers?
G: A glass.
T: That is my glass! Not for flowers, for me!
G: It is still your glass. You can drink out of it when the flowers are gone.
T: Oh! Big smile. Okay, Grandma!

In the house:

T: Here, Grandma. Puts more flowers in da glass
G: Can we put the glass in the window here so Mommy can see it?
T: NO! I gots to hold dem! They my flowers. I hold dem!



When I mentioned that she would not be able to hold anything else if she held the flowers, she looked concerned and handed them over. At that point she heard a bird from outside the window and announced:
T: Hear it? Thass a cardinal! (She was correct.)
G: You are right. And what is that bird on the clothesline?
T: Thass a woodpecker, Grandma! (She was correct.)
We went outside, and picking up a flower pot she asked,
T: You want to count with me? We count da pots!
G: Okay. (After some counting, she picked up a pile of those little plastic things with a picture and the name, that go in pots, and she showed them to me.
T: See, Grandma? I has lotsa pictures of flowers! That one is yalloh. Is a marigold! (She was correct.)

Then we went to the chicken coop, and she announced,
T: Baby chicks are getting big, Grandma! They not babies so much anymore. Then she pointed to her chest and smiled and added
They growing, just like me!

At that point a bluebird hit the glass window and she looked up with great concern on her face.

T: Whassa matter that bird? What that bird doing?
G: I don't know. Maybe it sees itself in the window.
T: I go see outside now, Grandma. You stay here and watch da chicks for me, okay?
G: I'm coming outside too.
We look around and she says, "It a daddy bird. It have a nest somewhere."

Then she sees my fingernails with a coat of polish (not usual for me) and says, with enthusiasm,
T: Nice fingers, Grandma! They brown!
G: Well, sort of brown I guess.
T: They brown.
G: Okay
T: See my toes? They pink toes, Grandma. Mommy makes my toes pink.
She then stuck out her tongue and added
T: My tongue pink too. Kool Aide makes my tongue pink, Grandma. Is you tongue pink too? Lemme see, Grandma!
Then she pulled up her shirt.
T: Thass is my belly button and thass is my nipples. You gots them too, Grandma?
G: Trying hard not to laugh Yes, Trinity. Everyone has a belly button and everyone has nipples.
T: EVERYONE? Oh!

I'm exhausted from all this conversation. And she has started asking, "Why?" Oh dear.