Interview with a 6-Year-Old

The boys before school, playing minecraft.

It's my aim to interview my children each year on their birthdays. But the thing with interviewing children is it has to happen when they want to talk about themselves. Otherwise each answer is: No, Yes, I Don't Know, Maybe. That sucks. So, you wait. Then you wait. Then you start to worry that their next birthday will come around before you complete the interview. And then you realize that you're failing at the goal to interview your children each year just like you are failing to take their pictures on the first day of school each year. And then... ahhh, then a nice Sunday morning comes along and your 6-year-old opens up. 

Well, actually not exactly. I lied to him. 

It started with the topic of parent-teacher conferences. I told him that I was about to have a conference with his teacher and I needed to be prepared to answer her questions to me about him. Would he help me prepare? Yes, he fell for that one. Here follows my short birthday interview with Mason -- a mere 10 days after his birthday. 

Picking his birthday pencil from teacher, he picked a St. Patrick's Day pencil.

Do you save your money? 
Yes, I'm saving my money from grandpa. 

What are you saving for? 
Hmmmmm. a LEGO. 

Which one? 
I don't know, yet. 

Do you know what donate means? 
Give something away.

If you were to donate your money, who would you give it to? 
Ben.

He must be very special to you. Is he your best friend? 
Yes, Ben, Crew, Ty and ... long pause ... that's it. 

In what ways are you generous? 
Being kind to other people. 

Who is the most famous person you ever met? 
What does famous mean? 

It means they did something important or funny or bad and then everyone talked about it so that when they go anywhere, everyone recognizes them. An example would be Barak Obama. 
I don't know. Maybe Max's mom (she's a a reporter, this answer is funny to me). 

A unintentional break from the interview:
Looking at a book titled, "Ain't Gonna Paint No More!" (Mason really likes the illustrations in this book and is looking at the page with a hand, painted green and made to look like the face of a monster with ants crawling out of the mouth). 

Mom, that would be so funny to color your hand like that. The ants look like they would... like they were marching on your hand. And then there could be dirt and stuff (he starts to air-draw around the hand as if he is seeing more of the picture than is there.) 

What's your favorite chore? 
Cleaning the bathroom. 

Really? 
Because I like cleaning with wipes and stuff. The upstairs bathroom, you know. But in the bathtub, you can't step in it and wipe. You have to put the wipe in, stand on it (then he puts his hands out as if he is holding himself up on the edges of the tub and motions to swing inside the tub). The edges you have to sweep yourself. Guess why? Every time you step on it if you clean something and then you step on it it's only going to get dirtier. 

OK, interview done. Go play. I love you. 
Oh hey mama, this is the playing cards song: First you draw, then you play, then you throw a card away. 

Who taught you that? 

Daddy.

And now, the day in pictures. 

Mason picked to have golf and dinner at our club.

Golf interrupted by worm hunting.

Handsome.

He's getting really good at this game.

Their other love at the club, running the hill.

1 candles, 2 cherries

May your wishes comes true.

Silliest brother, ever!

With Daddy

And Mama

Even the King has Chores

Presents Opening Time

Angry Birds PJs were well received, and total surprise.

Tweet Tweet!

And if you liked this... you'll like his 5th birthday, too. If you'd rather read about Cooper, visit his 6th Birthday.