In Which I talk about Poop
Tuesday, March 28, 2006 13:21Ethan’s teacher and I correspond daily via a little notebook that Ethan brings home. She writes notes about his day, I sign it and send it back along with any comments. The other day, his notebook said :
“Ethan drew a pile of poop on his art assignment”
(he stands a foot from me with his hands clasped behind his back watching me read - fulling knowing what I’m reading because he’s already read it - with a knowing-but-trying-to-hide-that-I-know-and-appear-innocent look on his face)
Says I : “Ethan… ”
Says He: “Whaaaaaaat?! Desert animals poop too! Everybody poops!”
Says I: “What were you supposed to be drawing?”
Says He: “She said to draw sand… so I drew sand. She said to draw the sky, so I drew the sky. Then she said to draw something that would be in the desert. So I drew poop.”
Says Me: ….
(blank stare)
Says Me: ….
Says Me: ….
It’s at this point that I realize that I am utterly and completely stumped. I mean… the kid’s got a point. And she didn’t exactly specify what he should draw. If I get mad at him, I’m telling him poop is bad and therefore pooping is bad by default and then who will he come to when he is constipated? See my dilemma?
No not really.. that wasn’t my dilemma. My dilemma was that I suddenly had to stifle a giggle because he is such a fucking smart ass and he is totally right and there is nothing wrong with him drawing that. Artists have drawn stranger. Big artists.. not like fat artists.. but like phat artists. Phat artists who are geniuses at what they do. They draw very strange things sometimes and I see NOTHING wrong with drawing poop in the desert - especially if the teacher didn’t say NOT to draw poop. And she didn’t. She didn’t say not to draw poop.
I laughed then. I signed his notebook and did not respond to her comment to tell her that ‘”You are a spoiled sport. Pooping is perfectly natural and I fully endorse his poop art. One day when he is a phat genious artist, he will remember his mother who didn’t scold him for drawing poop on his first grade art project.” Oh, but I should have.
Kat says:
March 29th, 2006 at 6:16 pm
My mom is a 5th grade teacher and does the file folder home with notes thing too. She majored in English and Art in college. I just was telling her this and she burst out laughing. She said your right ;))
Kat
PonderEthereal A La Aspie - Funny but Socially Inappropriate says:
April 8th, 2009 at 8:56 am
[...] “But it’s not appropriate.” I nodded and briefly considered telling him the poop in the desert story and then decided against [...]