good 'stache, good start

Every night I read Sophie a book. It is one of my fatherly shortcoming that I don't always get excited about this. Often I try, with guiltless sophistry, to convince the girl she'd rather have mom read her a book, but to no avail. In the rare case that my argument finds a young convert, she will instruct, "ok, we'll have mom read a book first," stating that last important word slowly, clearly communicating the implied- "all that tricky philosophy crap bought you ten minutes pal, then you're mine."
Sophie 1 Dad 0.
This race is a biathlon though. So we transition to the "book choice." My strategy for this event is simple. I begin by throwing up a hail Mary of sorts. "Alright Sophie, tonight we will read Where the Wild Things Are, (or The Giving Tree, Goodnight Moon, Guess How Much I Love You, and few others books I am willing to read and reread forever.) Sophie sees this as a completely unreasonable low ball offer. She'll be making the book decisions.
I then try to steer her away from books I do not want to read -those with lots of words and those I have already read- and towards books I would not mind reading -either a book on my approved list or a new book. This generally fails and I end up reading whatever book is her self appointed book of the moment (Miss Spiders New Car right now) for the 30th time.
A few days ago I found a nice looking picture book about Martin Luther King, Jr called Martin's Big Words in her book pile. I suggested we read it. She was uninterested. I persisted and she kindly looked up from her book search to ask, "what's it about?"

"It's about him" I said, holding up the book to show the picture on the cover.
"Who is he?"
"Martin Luther King."
She seemed curious, so I continued.
"He did some really great things."
"What did he do?"
"He helped people choose to do the right thing in a time when people were having a hard time choosing to do the right thing." This question was harder to answer simply than I had expected. I hoped to say enough to get her thinking. I was ready for the next questions- what was so hard, why was it hard, what did he say- I was ready for our big teaching moment to rise from the dust of these nights and nights of mindlessly reciting Miss Spider's New Car. Already in my mind we were talking as frankly as an adult and a 4 year old can about the need to be brave in the face of seemingly impossible odds, and the "fierce urgency of now." I waited in heavy anticipation as she studied the picture on the cover of the book. It was as if she was searching her soul for the right words. How does a little heart deal with such heavy questions?
Finally she spoke.

"Ok dad. You can have this book."
"but can we read it?"
"you can take it upstairs and put it in your room and you can read it."
"can I read it to you?"
"no."

We looked at the cover one more time, as if to say goodbye.
"He has a cool mustache," she noted, sounding like she was trying to ease the blow.

It was a subtle comfort. At least she can recognize a good mustache. We'll tackle bigotry another day.

I sat on the bed next to her and began to read. "Mom writes that we should come to tea. Let's go!" Miss Spider cried.


this is the first of two mustache themed posts in honor of JD and Kallie's nuptials and in anticipation of the 7th annual Shitkicker Invitation which will take place in Oakley this weekend.