Presenting Saul

Saul is the 5 year old I tutor.  Most of what we do is read lists of words, and some of the conversations that arise from these words – well, they are classic Saul.

 

Nice to his Mama

 “. . . speedy, salty, mushy, needy . . . what’s needy?”

“Needy is when you need something, like people who are hungry need food, and people who are sick need to get well.”

“When my mom is sick, I give her an apple, and a banana, and a sandwich, and a hot sopa, and a beeeeyooootiful colored painting.”

 

A Little Bit Paranoid

“ . . . pig, sheep, bear – I had a movie about bears!  And it was my favorite movie!  But now I just have the case.”

“Why do you just have the case?”

“Because I left the movie outside and I think the ants took it to their house so they could watch it.  They always steal my stuff.”  Oh, so that explains where all your missing toys go.

 

Sometimes Irreverent

“Pastor Rick is a good preacher.  But sometimes he preaches til thirteen five.”

“Saul, thirteen five is not a time, right?  Remember the clock?”

“Oh, right.  Well, what I mean is sometimes he preaches TOO LONG.”

 

Loves his Dog

“My dad hates my dog.  He thinks he’s a little rat.  He wants him to die.”

“Saul, your dad doesn’t want your dog to die.”

“Yes he does!  But I don’t.”

“Right, because you love your dog.”

“No, because he’s really cute.”  Sometimes that’s the way I feel about you, Saul.

 

Likes Chicken

“ . . . crane, hawk, quail . . . what’s a quail?”

“Those are all birds, Saul.  A quail looks like this.”  <I attempt to draw a quail.>

“Oh, so it’s a duck.”

“No, it’s a quail, but kind of like a duck.”

“Kind of like a duck?  Oh, so it’s a chicken.”

“No Saul, it’s a quail.”

“This one time, when we were driving, my mom hit a chicken crossing the street.  It was so FULL of feathers.  After we hit it, we cooked it, and it was yum.”

If his parents knew half the stuff he tells me about them, and if they thought I believed any of it, we’d probably have a very different relationship.

 

Good Little Actor

Saul is in a play at school, and we are learning his lines.  No matter what I do, I can’t get him to not speak the stage directions.  So he gets up on stage and says: “Rusty Old Engine.  He speaks slowly and quietly, sounding very tired.  I am soooo tired, and I cannot go on. . .”  His teacher can’t get him to stop either.  Not only is he a good little actor, he’s also very stubborn.