Max's Daily Gift

I'm home from California and finally finding a little space for some blogging...more on that tomorrow. Today, I have a odd story to tell.

Throughout Max's career as a Kindergartner, he frequently and proudly comes home with little drawings or packages of things. Always four -- one for Tom, Will, Mia, and me. We've received teeny tiny diagrams of the life cycle of a butterfly. And books. He's in a phase where he makes little books about things, held together with three or four staples. Apples are a favorite subject in his books. Yesterday, I'm not sure what it was we received, but it had apples drawn on it, and he tossed it around like a paper airplane.

Today, he didn't disappoint -- so he thought. Everyday, the first thing he does when he comes home from school is empty his backpack. First his lunchbox, then his presents for everyone. When he brought me mine today, I asked him what it was. "A diaper." (But of course.) A little paper diaper folder and taped with some coloring on that inside that represented...something.

I tried to get deeper into this diaper thing over dinner:

ME: "Max, what did you do in choice time today?"
MAX: "Worked at the writing table."
ME: "Did your friends make diapers with you at the writing table?"
MAX: "Nope."
ME: "You did that all by yourself?"
MAX: "Yeah."
ME: "Did your teacher know you made diapers for everyone?"
MAX: "No."

So I'm definitely vexed by this one. Having a hard time encouraging his creativity here. Why diapers? I objectively know the answer, and it has something to do with his age and gender. But it still seems a little weird to me. Wonder what we'll all get tomorrow. Probably nothing since I interrogated him today, but I think I'm hoping for another book about apples.

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