Opera 101

This summer we have been having mini classes with G1 to keep her (and therefore...us) sane over the summer vacation.

One of these mini classes has been on Opera. Today she read about Giancomo Puccini in preparation for watching La Boheme. The following is her answer to one of the questions on her Puccini quiz.

Q: Name three of his biggest operas and give a brief plot outline of each.


A:

1. Manon Lescaut--When Manon goes into an inn filled with pupils a guy (1st) falls in love with her. Another guy (2) also falls in love with her. Manon is in love with the 1st guy, then the 2nd guy's wealth. When 1st guy wins her back, 2nd guy calls the officers. On the way to America, 1st guy decides to go with her after he fails to save her. When he arrives she dies.
2. 2. Madama Butterfly--A young girl falls in love with an American officer. He is not a nice person. he marries her saying he will return to his real girlfriend in America. The young girl thinks he is getting hitched because of love. he returns to America and did not come back for three years. When he does come back he brings his new wife with him. Meanwhile, the young girl had a boy. When she finds out she kills herself and leaves the boy to the officer.
3. 3. La Boheme--A group of people who are poor but with happy-go-lucky spirits. One person falls in love with a girl who has a mysterious disease. Some other guy falls in love with another girl and they struggle to remain together. The 1st guy's girl is near death. The group sells everything to buy medicine for her. SHE STILL DIES!

Can't you just read the mounting disbelief oozing from her plot summaries as she discovers that the heroines...die!

When I asked her how she felt about this, she said that if these had been written by a woman--the men would have died. LOL

I evidently have a budding feminist critic on my hands.

Today as I was attempting to extricate the Moo from her high chair with minimal transfer of stickiness, G2 informed me of a very important new fact about the Moo.

She is a superhero.

Really?

"What is her super power?" I asked.
"Able to attract dirt from every surface?"
"The ability to climb anything that holds still for three seconds?"
"Able to break glass with her shrieks of frustration and rage?"

"No, Mom" G2 informed me with a disgusted rolling of the eyes "it's silliness, of course."

Of course.

Why didn't I think of that?

Happy 4th of July!

The Question.

So G2 asked me the dreaded question yesterday. The "where do babies come from?" question. His actual question was, "how are people made?"

As any seasoned parent can tell you, this gave me my "out". I gently asked him how did he think people were made?

At first his answers were logical and clear. First bones are made and then skin gets put on the bones. Then it got interesting.

Evidently people are made with muscles, blood, hamburger, milk, chocolate, grass, and pickles. Oh...and lots and lots of paper and glue. The necessary tools are hammers and screwdrivers...with the occasional paint brush. Hair is the last item to be added.

I was given detailed explanations for each body part with an earnest face and a great deal of thought. It was very enlightening.

I need to ask him what he thinks more often. ;)