"When I grow up"

Today, Cameron brought home a little booklet that lists all the preschoolers and what they want to be when they grow up. Cameron, it turns out, wants to be a soccer coach. He won't have much competition -- no other aspiring soccer coaches in the school apparently. There were a fair number of your usual "I want to be a doctor" or "I want to be an astronaut" replies. And, among the girls, there were several would-be princesses, cowgirls and one fairy. A few boys who planned to be pirates or race car drivers. But a few of the responses had me laughing out loud!

Several wanted to grow up to be a fictional character.

"I want to be a Bionicle."
"I want to be Sonic the Hedgehog."

Some thought it was juvenille to want to be a fictional character. But another species? TOTALLY reasonable.

"I want to be a kitty cat. A gray one."
"I want to be a catepillar."

Some planned to remain human, but grown up? No way.

"I want to be a three-year-old."
"I want to be a teenager."
"I want to be a kindergartener . . . or a princess."
"I want to be a grandmother." (This wouldn't be so funny if it weren't from a little boy!)

And some, well, they were scarily accurate in their visions of the future.

"I want to show everyone else how to work." (Would have been easier to just say "manager," wouldn't it?)
"I just want to be a regular person."
"I want to be a Chinese restaurant person."

And my favorite: "I want to be a doctor. Or actually, I want to do regular work, when you do projects and be done with work on Saturdays, Tuesdays and Sundays. And Fridays. I am experimental." (I think this is called "working from home.")

The kids also listed their favorite activities. Playing outside and playing with friends were popular answer. Since it is Montessori, however, there were some more interesting works mentioned including baby washing and bean feeling. Hey, if there is a responsible preschooler interested in a summer job of baby washing, send 'em my way!