9:58 a.m. - April 29, 2006
Katie's Career Paths!
Katie is just 4 � years old, and there�s a whole lot of life in front of her before she even fills out a job application for the first time.
The fact that she�s already 4 � is scary enough for this fine, upstanding, not-so-young anymore gentleman Dad. Already, I�ve experienced pre-school crushes, injuries, soccer games, dance recitals, and all kinds of excitement in the house.
(Just today, I was told that Luka talks about Katie all the time at home. Sigh�)
So the job thing, it�s a ways off.
Already, though, she�s exhibiting several facets of personality that could definitely help in a career of her choice.
So what will she be when she grows up? Let�s see�.
Dancer - This seems like a no brainer. She�s in dance class already and seems to love it to death. Yet, she always seems to be dancing about, when she�s walking.
At the soccer game last Thursday, she spent half the time hop stepping and dancing a bit to the ball, instead of running right towards the ball. (Well, a lot of the time she seems to be spaced out instead of going for the ball. I think it�s being 4 �, but also it�s like me in a way. Nurture, not nature, I suppose.)
I really enjoy her flitting about the house, and I really like it when she wants to dance with me to whatever mix CD I�m making for people. So, yeah, I can see a dancer in our future if she really wants to do it.
Engineer - We bought her a lot of blocks a couple of Christmases ago, and she really likes making towers with them. And this year, we bought her some big girl Legos, and we bought Kristin some baby Legos.
Those baby Legos have really been taken over by Katie, and she really enjoys constructing tall towers with them. Those towers seem very sound, architecturally. It takes a lot to topple them, and sometimes Kristin has to be really creative to topple it.
Katie�s reaction to when they are toppled makes me think that she could also be an�.
Artist - This is because she gets really petulant when her creation has been destroyed. She pouts, she whines, and then she storms off in a huff. I can almost hear her asking for a double caf� latte.
Seriously, though, she loves to draw and doodle. I know a lot of kids like to draw and doodle but Katie uses bold colors and she draws interesting shapes. It�s almost like pop art at times. And I�m not saying that because she�s my girl�ok�I am. But she�s pretty darn good.
Landscaper or Groundskeeper - At Thursday�s soccer game, she spent half of her time pulling grass out of the ground and redistributing it. It�s like the grass was too high and she wanted to redistribute it.
She also is helping Liz plant a flower garden in the back yard. I don�t know if help is the right word. Perhaps it�s just an excuse to get dirty.
Florist - Whenever we take walks, she always has to stop and pick the dandelions and other wild flowers that are showing up in people�s yards.
I swear, if we take three walks a day there wouldn�t be any dandelions left in a four block radius.
She always takes those flowers home, and gets a glass, fills it with water, and puts the dandelions and other flowers in them. She arranges them just so, as well. So, if you want a dandelion bouquet from Katie, just email. Results not guaranteed.
Titan of Industry - Katie the micromanager!
She�s very careful about watching what you are doing, and if you aren�t doing it exactly the way she wants you to do it, she�ll let you know about it.
Almost every word out of her mouth is, �Kristin, no!�
She also is very articulate about expressing exactly what she wants done and when. So I can see her as the next �Chainsaw�, the titan of industry that is feared throughout the land.
Attorney - I think every little kid has a bit of an attorney in them, but Katie�s right up there.
If she�s going to get in trouble, she immediately issues three motions in her defense, wanting to exclude evidence, claim provocation, or pleading the fifth.
If she loses the case, she immediately wants to put it up for appeal.
Sometimes it takes forever for us to rule on her writs and pleadings.
And now that she�s reading some small books (hooray for reading!) she�ll probably want to see our evidence in writing and present her exculpatory evidence in discovery before punishing her.
Do you think we should have limited the Law & Order episodes she watched?
Gossip Columnist - Nothing gets past her. Nothing.
If she sees someone smoking a cigarette, or riding a bike without a helmet, she points it out to me and says, �They shouldn�t be doing that.�
She tells us when the kitties go somewhere they shouldn�t be.
She tells us when her sister even so much as touches her.
I�m sure if she had an outlet, she�d let the entire town know that that man who was smoking a cigarette on Pike Street by Grant Avenue was making a bad choice.
Does The Paper of Montgomery County have a Page Six?
Sports Announcer - Just today at breakfast, she was offering her color commentary on the way Kristin was eating her Cheerios. She makes comments about everything, and offers feedback and observations.
When we watch sports, she�s always saying, �Oh, he/she shouldn�t have done that.�
And you know what? She�s probably more on the money than half of those bums who get paid to make witty, pithy comments on the TV.
Writer - She loves to write. She can make all of her letters and knows how to write some of her friend�s names.
She writes them letters (well, she scribbles and then addresses the scribbles to them) and wants to deliver them at preschool.
She sometimes sits and makes up stories and tells them to herself, and sometimes they�re quite imaginative.
I can see her being any one of these, but knowing Katie, whatever she does with herself in twenty years or so, it will be a surprise.
Or will it?
