The instant messages of a five-year-old

Last week, Jared was home sick one day from school. It was nothing serious; basically, he'd had a fever the night before. He hadn't wanted lunch after swim class, but to lie down instead. We took him home and he just lazed about and slept all afternoon while I did the marketing.

By the evening, his temperature was up to 101 and change. The fever broke, but as a teacher, Rachel knew he needed to stay home at least 24 hours after the fever broke. So, I worked from home and he stayed downstairs reading and watching television. My mother-in-law came over for the morning and stayed with him. After she left for a meeting, he hung out in our bedroom where he helped himself to Rachel's laptop and AOL's Instant Messaging service.

So, he and I chatted back and forth while I worked. After the break, an excerpt...

[11:38] Jared: daddy what are we haveing for dinner tonight daddy
[11:38] Daddy: I'm not sure. What would you like?
[11:41] Jared: hotdog
[11:41] Daddy: Okay

We ended up having something else since we were out of buns.

[11:44] Jared: i love you daddy
[11:44] Daddy: I love you too!
[11:45] Daddy: Eat your soup
[11:45] Daddy: It's good for you.
[11:50] Jared: im em eating my soup
[11:51] Daddy: Good! I love you very, very much!

I made him some soup for lunch -- always a good choice when sick.

[12:13] Jared: i love you very very much too
[12:15] Daddy: Thank you!
[12:17] Jared: no thank you
[12:19] Daddy: Was the soup yummy?
[12:20] Jared: yes
[12:20] Daddy: I'm glad
[12:23] Jared: im glad too

Apparently, he liked it.

[13:56] Jared: daddy i love you very very much
[13:56] Daddy: I love you too! I love you very, very much!
[13:58] Jared: your my best buddy
[13:59] Daddy: You're my best buddy too, Buddy!
[13:59] Daddy: You're a very special boy!
[14:00] Jared: your my best daddy
[14:01] Daddy: Thank you!
[14:03] Jared: thank you too

I get the award! Yay!

[14:15] Jared: daddy can we go camping agen
[14:15] Daddy: Yes, next spring
[14:15] Jared: good
[14:29] Jared: cood we go too the place we went last time
[14:31] Daddy: yes
[14:38] Jared: this time cood we go in 21 this time
[14:38] Daddy: We'll see.

Someone else got site 21.

[14:38] Daddy: By the way, could is spelled "COULD".
[14:39] Daddy: As in, "COULD we go in 21 this time"
[14:39] Daddy: WOULD and SHOULD are spelled the same way.
[14:46] Jared: daddy i love you very very very very much
[14:46] Daddy: And I love you!
[14:52] Jared: could me and jake have a play dayt
[14:53] Daddy: "Could Jake and I have a play date?" ("me" is an object and thus can't have anything. "I" is a subject and can.)
[14:53] Daddy: Yes, we will plan for that.
[14:53] Daddy: Not this weekend, but the next one, I think.
[14:54] Jared: good

Everything can be a learning experience.

[15:12] Jared: daddy what is the dayt
[15:12] Daddy: The date when Jake will come over?
[15:13] Jared: no
[15:13] Daddy: Today?
[15:13] Jared: yes
[15:13] Daddy: Today is Wednesday, October 27, 2007.
[15:14] Jared: ok
[15:20] Jared: daddy what is the st
[15:21] Daddy: what is the what?
[15:23] Jared: what is the st
[15:24] Daddy: I'm not sure what you mean by ST .
[15:24] Jared: sreet
[15:24] Daddy: Street?
[15:25] Daddy: Our street is Paloma Avenue
[15:25] Jared: oh

My favorite part of all this is that he would holler like the dickens to get me to come downstairs and ask me how to spell something, then turn back to the computer and type it to me.