1 Mother 2 Another

Sung to the tune of “The Farmer in
the Dell”:


“Stop, drop and roll!

Stop, drop and roll!

If your clothes catch on fire,

Stop, drop and roll!”


This is what my four-year-old has been lustily singing all
afternoon. Apparently it was fire safety day at preschool, and she
has no problem singing about the possibility of her catching on
fire. This is very different than my older child.


But here’s the best part –

When I asked Cora what if she knew what
the song meant, she said scornfully, “Of course! If I catch
on fire – say, if a friend of mine is playing with matches or
something – I’m supposed to STOP what I’m doing,
then DROP all my clothes off, then ROLL them around in the
dirt.”


Let’s back up a bit there.


It took a while to convince Cora that she was supposed to roll her
whole, fully-clothed self in the dirt. Modesty didn’t sell it
– I finally put it over as a time-saving choice. But I could
totally see her trying to strip off her clothes while she
smoldered, sticking with the song’s instructions.


That’s my kid.