Text and subtext

I've enjoyed spending time with Dutch this summer. One of the things I like about her is her insatiable curiousity. That, of course, is also one of the things about her that drives me crazy. Yesterday she and I browsed through a table of cards outside a store, which had one of those witty signs announcing that unattended children will be given free espresso and a kitten. We spent about 20 minutes discussing the sign. What did it say? What's espresso? Why would they give you a kitten? Why don't they want kids to be unattended? Do they have kittens in there? Why did the store owner put that sign up? Is it a joke? What do people think when they read the sign?

She wants to know everything, particularly about the thoughts and emotions of total strangers. EVERYTHING. When I'm already cranky, being asked questions about strangers' motivation ("Mom, why did he put his hand in the bag? Mom, why is she listening to music? Mom, why did he say that?") makes me absolutely crazy. I usually end up saying things like "I DON'T KNOW!!!! I CANNOT READ MINDS!!!!!!"

I think she'll really enjoy watching reality TV shows.