Words = Magic

A couple of weeks ago, when I picked Hollis up from school he was going on and on about words that sound the same when they’re spelled backward as they do when they’re spelled forward. “Oh yeah”, I said. “Palindromes.”

Palindromes. (insert image of first-grader with eyes as big as saucers)

Pure Magic.

So all the way home we talked about palindromes. MOM, DAD, DID, NUN (we’re not Catholic and I’m quite sure he meant “NONE” but I wasn’t about to burst his bubble), BIB, GIG ... and on and on and on. For the next week or so, he would randomly return to this topic.

Hollis: (running in from playing basketball outside) ... Hey Dad?

Me: Yeah?

Hollis: PUP.

Me: What? (think, think, think) Oh ... yeah, you’re right.

This went on and on ...

MA’AM was a particularly gratifying one (for me ... not so much for him). And of course, the best ever ... POOP.

On Wednesday or Thursday of last week - having not talked about this stuff for a few days - Hollis ran into the house after school, threw his backpack up on the counter, went and got a stubby little pencil and his miniscule Frankenstein notepad and started writing frantically (see photo excerpt  below). Don’t know if he thought he was going to forget them or what, but his sense of urgency was impressive.

I’ve not heard anything about palindromes since that time so maybe he’s gotten it out of his system. Kinda cool though, having a six year-old wordsmith around the house.