Questions Revisited

You may think I'm a lunatic, and our kids might just agree, but I like asking my kids questions about random things.  I like getting their perspectives and then I try to log those so I can look back later.  

Today, I stumbled on an old questionnaire I did with our oldest three in 2005 when S was ten, H was 5-1/2 and Z was 3-1/2.  I decided to reuse the same questions (I needed to alter the first two) and ask them again.  I also added J and O's responses.  It's fun to look at how their answers have changed (and some, not as much as you'd think!) over the years.  Maybe I'll think to ask the kids again in another seven years.

You should know that generally, I ask these questions without the other siblings nearby and I type their answers pretty much verbatim as they answer.  They do not get to see or hear each others answers until everyone has had their turn.

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What do you think about President Obama?  (In 2005, it was Bush.)

O:  He's cool.  He's my best president.

J:  That he makes good plans.

Z, 2005:  Good.

Z: I just think a lot of people don't like him, so I'm trying to figure out if I like him or not.  I'm not old enough to decide if he's a good or bad president (and I've heard both about him), so I'm just trying to figure out what I think.

H, 2005:  (Shrug.)

H:  Good and bad.

S, 2005: I think he's a good president.

S: Don't know much of him, so...nothing.

What do you think about war?  (In 2005, it was "How do you think the war in the east will end?)

O:  I don't know.  I didn't thought about it.

J:  There's puppies in the war sometimes.

Z, 2005: I don't know ... yeah.

Z:  I don't know because it's hard to explain.  I'm getting to the age where guns seem cool and stuff.  I think it would be fun to shoot a gun, but I don't want to die or kill other people.  It just seems fun.

H, 2005: (Shrug.)

H:  Bad influence.

S, 2005: That it will soon end and everyone will be happy again.

S: War doesn't have to be about fighting...why can't it be about world peace?

How do you think the president starts his morning?

O:  Work.

J:  Waking up and changing.

Z, 2005: Good.

Z:  Probably gets up, takes a shower, gets dressed, eats breakfast and then goes wherever he has to go.  He probably says hi to his kids, wife and stuff.

H, 2005: By getting dressed.

H:  Gets ready for interviews.

S, 2005: He gets up, gets his war clothes on, puts his wig on, then he sits down, eats breakfast and goes to talk to men.  Don't you have to eat before you do anything so you don't get hungry?  If a war lasts like two days and you don't eat anything ... gosh, I'd be hungry.

S: Kisses his wife and eats breakfast all together, then goes to work.

What does the word ‘family’ mean to you?

O:  Like... nice, love.

J:  All the other people in the world.

Z, 2005: Good.

Z:  It depends how big a family is.  It's like a pack that sticks together and stuff.

H, 2005: Like, you go to church with them and stuff. 

H:  Sticking together no matter what.

S, 2005: That's a tough one.  I think it means when everyone spends time together and doesn't always have to do fun stuff, but they spend time together.

S: "Family is like a dozen of Nutty Fudge."  That right there means family.  Sometimes sweet, but mostly nutty.

Which is best, a dog, a cat, a horse or a llama?  Why?

O:  A dog because them cute.

J:  A dog because I don't really know the other ones.  Dogs are fine.

Z, 2005: What's a llama? (H: It's like a camel.)  I want a dog.

Z:  A horse and a dog because a horse is a big animal and it's cute and stuff.  Same with a dog, it's cute and playful.

H, 2005: A llama, I mean, a dog.

H:  Cats because they are playful.

S, 2005: Horse.

S: It depends on what part of the world you live in.

Who is your favorite person in the Bible?

O:  Elijah.

J:  Jesus.

Z, 2005: Baby J (note: he said her name, but you know her as J, so I just put that here.)

Z:  Peter.

H, 2005: Adam and Eve.  No wait, the brothers -- Cain and Abel.

H:  David.

S, 2005:  Can I choose God, or is He like a person?

S: Esther.  She wasn't afraid to be herself.

When you get to heaven, what’s the first thing you’re going to do there?

O:  Hug God and hug Jesus and hug the Holy Spirit.

J:  Say hello to God.

Z, 2005: Have God give me food.

Z:  Look for some people and then say hi to God and live my life.

H, 2005: Praise to God.

H:  Say hi to God.

S, 2005: I'm going to meet people.

S: Say "hey" to everyone that has left an impact in my life.

If you could only pick one food to eat all week, what would it be?

O:  Chicken strips.

J:  Candy.

Z, 2005:  A tomato and Goldfish.

Z:  Fruit.

H, 2005:  I would choose fish sticks and shrimp.

H:  Sandwiches.

S, 2005: Mac and cheese.

S: A Twister's Basic Burrito...yum. :)

How old do you think you should be to get married?

O:  18.

J:  20.

Z, 2005: I want to be pretty.

Z:  20.

H, 2005: 18, but I was going to say 80.

H:  20 years old.

S, 2005:  18.

S: 19 or 20 ... just finishing college.

How old is someone when they are old?

O:  50.

J:  100 years old.

Z, 2005:  I don't know.

Z:  70.

H, 2005:  Wise.

H:  80 years old is old.

S, 2005:  Near 60s and 70s.

S:  66-70 and up...

How much is a lot of money?

O:  $4000?  60-hundred? No, $2000!  Or $100.

J:  $2000.

Z, 2005: (holds up five fingers)

Z:  A billion dollars.

H, 2005:  I don't know.  A hundred dollars?

H:  $1,500.

S, 2005:  A hundred dollars?

S: Depends on the type of person.  Rich people... "You can never have enough money..."

How can you be kind to others?

O:  Saying, 'I love you', and giving them a hug.

J:  Play with them when they are new.

Z, 2005:  Pretty (he sang this).

Z:  Showing them you care and if they need someone to lean on, you can be there.

H, 2005:  Sharing your toys and giving them stuff.

H:  Help them with work.

S, 2005:  By giving them what they need.

S:  Give & share what you have, after all it's all God's.  It's what He would have done.

Why do you think there are statues of people?

O:  Because they are sometimes famous and them put a statue of 'em to remember them.

J:  Because artists want to make statues.

Z, 2005:  Because it's pretty.

Z:  So people don't forget how important those people were.  So like, George Washington, by now, since a lot of people who lived with him are dead now, people want to remember him for how great he was and stuff.

H, 2005:  Because it shows -- if you didn't know them before they died, you can see what they look like.

H:  They were important.

S, 2005:  So that people can remember who they were and what they did that was important.

S:  To remember them by.  Their qualities and character.

Why do we go to sleep every day?

O:  Because we need sleep.  We have a lot of work to do and stuff.

J:  Because we're tired.

Z, 2005:  Because it's pretty (answered in song).

Z:  So we can be charged and ready for the next day.

H, 2005:  Because if we didn't go to sleep in the day, we would get really tired.

H:  To rest and get energy.

S, 2005:  So that we can get rest for the next day.

S:  To get beauty sleep!  Duh.  Oh... and to give our bodies a break.