We were floating in the river today when my daughter asked, "Mom, when is George Washington's birthday?" I have no idea and said so, which made her smile. I asked why, wondering if maybe it was a trick question or if folks usually answer: the Fourth Of July. She said she just wondered. She said she used to sit around trying to guess what kids in school were learning and she wondered if it was facts like that. Pretty good guess, actually. A lot of elementary school is all about facts like that. I said it was a perfectly fine thing to wonder about--what other kids are learning. Neither of us commented further, but the supposition is true enough and I think she felt it all rather shallow. Was it a smile of relief or recognition that crossed her face?

Apparently she and her friend, M, used to play school. Until they wondered if school kids play homeschool, and if so what that would look like to them. They wondered if playing homeschool might make school children angry. Which is an interesting thing for these girls to wonder.