The Value of Fear?

"Mommy, why do you have to be so fearless? You're never afraid of anything! Unless it's something useless to be afraid of, like sharp corners or knives or scissors."

S.C., 6 years old and frightened by the little spider in the living room

Lost in Translation

[Singing tunefully:]

"Tall and tan and young and lonely, . . . "

"And when she passes, the mountain passes say 'Ah!'"





"The Lonely Girl from Ipanema"
-- Sophia Claire, 9/12/2008

Planet Feet

"Mommy, I think my foot has become Jupiter! ... See that big red spot?"

-- S.C., 6 years old, observing a painful blister

Mathematical Nonsense

"All that stuff looks like work to a mathematician, but to someone who isn't trained in it -- like me -- it looks more like nonsense."

-- S.C., 6 years old

Space Science: Loud Toilets and Other Safety Considerations

"There are four reasons why I don't want to be an astronaut. First, taking off can be very dangerous. Second, even though they spend time in quarantine first, still, someone on the shuttle might be sick and might not know it. Third, the toilets are really loud. Fourth, it's dangerous to come back into the atmosphere. And so, I wouldn't want to be an astronaut."

-- S. C., 6 years old