Impossiblilities

Emma was reading Tommie De Paola’s “Nana Upstairs, Nana Downstairs” to the younger girls.  Near the end of the book it says:

One morning when Tommy woke up at his own house, his mother came in to talk to him.
“Nana Upstairs died last night,” she said.
“What’s ‘died’?” Tommy asked.
“Died means that Nana Upstairs won’t be here anymore,” Mother answered.

 

Later, it seemed like Ruth was having some deep thoughts about the story, so I wanted to talk to her about it.

Ruth: That is just impossible.
Mama: What is impossible?
Ruth: In the book, it says that Tommy is four and that he said, “What’s ‘died’?”  Well, I’m four and I know what “died” is, so it’s just impossible that you are four and you don’t know what “died” is.
Mama (trying to maintain the somber tone of the conversation): Well, how is it that you know what “died” is?
Ruth: Oh, right.  I guess he didn’t have people to tell him what “died” was as he was growing up.

I love the logical thinking.  I also love that she seems to view four as pretty much the end of growing up.