Can I, be a man, one day?

(in the car on the way to the allergist)

Alex: How do they make shows, Mommy?

Claire: How do you take a picture?

Alex: One day can we make a show that goes on TV?

Claire: A bridge!

Claire: Can I take Juju in there?

Claire: I saw a trash can! Mommy, I saw a trash can!

Alex: It’s dark out still. We have to go back home and go to bed.


(At the allergist’s waiting room)
Alex: Toys!



(After the allergist, the family goes by Primrose to find out if Alex’s class has soccer practice today. Mommy goes inside to find out, while Daddy, Alex, and Claire wait in the car. While they wait, they watch some men take wheelbarrows of mulch out onto the playground.)

Alex: Okay? So that’s – that’s how I want to explain it.
Alex: But the car parked there. So I can’t see.
Claire: And so I can’t see, either. But you can see the, um, um, part of that truck. And that car window.
Claire: You can see a little of the truck and that car window.
(Claire laughs.)
Alex: You can see a, a little of the trailer, and a little, uh, the, uh, a little where the man sits. The cabin.
Claire: Yeah.
Claire: Is Mommy in?
Daddy: Yeah, she’s inside.
Claire: Are we not gonna go inside?
Daddy: You’re not gonna go in, ‘cause you don’t wanna go to school, right?
Claire: Yeah.
Alex: No.
Claire: I are not gonna go to soccer because, I not four. Right?
Alex: Well you can still do the school so – soccer.
Daddy: Yeah you can still do the school soccer.
Alex: We just – don’t know, if we’re gonna do soccer!

Alex: What kind of truck is that, Daddy?
Daddy: It’s a van.
Alex: What does a van do?
Daddy: Um… that van is like a utility van, and it carries the – all the men’s stuff. For when they need to go work on something.
Claire: Is Alex gonna go in?
Daddy: I don’t know.
Alex: We’ll see.
Claire: We’ll see.
Claire: Will Mommy come back here –
Alex: Is Claire gonna go in?
Daddy: No.
Claire: Because, I don’t want school. If there’s school next time, I can tell, um, Alex, I can go to school next time. But I don’t wanna go to school this day because I don’t wanna go in. I don’t want to go to school.
Alex: Well Claire, you’ll say that again tomorrow.
Alex: But I need somebody to play with I, if, if I don’t wanna go to school. But I’ll have one today!
Claire: Will Alex go in school?
Claire: Will Alex go in school, Daddy?
Daddy: Um – he – he will if they’re gonna do soccer.
Claire: Oh.
Alex: Uh – are – are – are we late – are we really late for jobs?
Daddy: Yeah, they did jobs already.
Alex (upset): Oh nooo!
Daddy: But that’s okay, because if you go, you’ll only go for soccer. And –
Alex: Then I’ll go back home, right?
Daddy: Yeah. If that’s what you –
Alex: Will you watch me?
Daddy: Um no, I have to go to work.
Alex: Who’s gonna stay with us at home?
Daddy: Mommy.
Alex: Will she play with us?
Daddy: Yeah.
Claire: I want to play monsters!
Alex: Let’s play calm game.
Claire: I want to play monsters, (mumble), at home.
Alex: Well let’s play, um a calmer game.
Claire: Um uh, what is a calmer – what is a calmer, game mean?
Alex: I don’t know. We can play...
Claire: I want to play tea party with Mommy.
Alex: Let’s play cars!
Claire: I don’t wanna, okay. And I wanna play tea party.
Alex, will you play cars? And I’m gonna play tea party.
Alex (breathless): I can’t talk right now, okay? I have too many scratches on me.
Alex: Scratches.
Alex: Ow ow ow.
Alex: What – but what is this van doing here?
Claire: What van?
Alex: That van.
(Alex gasps.)
Alex: Uh! The tree house is gone!
Claire: There’s the tree house.
Alex: It’s gone? Oh, yeah.
Claire: There’s the tree house!
Alex (angrily): I saw it.
Claire (mimicking Alex’s tone): I saw it.
(Alex laughs.)
Claire: Mean! Mean!
Alex: Claire’s being mean to me.
Claire: I’m nooot!

(Mommy returns.)
Mommy: Okay, sorry. They are doing soccer. They’re having snack in a couple of minutes, and then they’re gonna do soccer. Do you wanna go in for snack and soccer?
Alex: Mmmm… okay.
Mommy (to Daddy): Do you want me to take you home first? Or, can I drop him off now.
Daddy: You can drop him off now.
Alex: Well, I want to have soccer.
Mommy: They are. They’re gonna do soccer in a couple minutes. After snack.
Alex: Well, we –
Mommy: Do you want to get a snack first?
Alex: Uh…
Mommy: Aren’t you hungry?
Alex: We could do it at home though.
Mommy: I thought you wanted to do soccer, I just talked to Miss Kidd.
Alex: She said yes?
Mommy: Yeah.
Alex: Well I wanna do it at home now.
Mommy: You don’t wanna do soccer here?
Alex: No.
(Pause.)
Mommy: Okay. You sure?
Alex: Yeah.
Daddy: You could go in, you could go in and do soccer, and then –
Mommy: Then I’ll pick you up, right after soccer.
Daddy: -- then Mommy’ll get you. And you can go home and play.
Alex: Okay.
Mommy: You do wanna do that? And I’ll come get you right after soccer?
Claire: Mommy, let’s play tea party! Let’s play tea party!
Mommy: And then we’ll have something special for lunch, okay?

Claire: Can we walk home? I wanna walk home.

Claire: I wanna drive home. I wanna drive home.
Daddy: Yeah let’s drive home.

(Mommy takes Alex into the school, leaving Claire and Daddy waiting in the car.)

Claire: You can take me home, Daddy.
Daddy: Yeah.
Claire: And Mommy can, um, um, drive.
Daddy: right.
Claire: You can um, wait til we get home, and Mommy can drive it.
Claire: They’re going in school.
Daddy: That’s right. Alex is gonna go to soccer.
Claire: Can I, be a man, one day?
Daddy: Can you be a man one day?
Claire: Yeah.
Daddy: No but you can be a woman.
Claire: Okay.
Daddy: That sound good enough?
Claire: Yeah.
Claire: Are tho – are those womans?
Daddy: No those are mans.
Claire: Hm.
Claire (sadly): I wanna be a man.
Daddy: Okay. If that’s what you want.
Claire: I wanted that.
Daddy: Okay.
(Pause.)
Claire: One day can, I wanna be a man.
Daddy: Okay.
Daddy: What are you gonna do when you’re a man?
Claire: Um… get, um, dirt and, um… push the dirt into, my back yard.
Daddy: Yeah? Does that look like fun?
Claire: Yeah. Then I’m gonna drive to a different, um – no I’m gonna put mulch in, my um, um, outside, at school. Then I’m gonna drive to a different, uh, one. But, and there’s nose – I’m gonna drive to a different, um, um, playground.

Claire: A purple car!
Daddy: Neat!
Claire: Do you like purple?
Daddy: Yeah.
Claire: Do you like purple?
Daddy: Yes.
Claire: Oh. I like purple too.

(Mommy returns.)
Claire: Mommy’s back in!!
Mommy: I’m back.
Claire: Yay!! Let’s go home and play tea party!
Mommy: They better do soccer.
Claire: I wanna go home and do tea party with Daddy and Mommy!
Mommy: Daddy has to go to work though, right?
Claire: Oh.
Daddy: Yeah, Daddy has to go to work.
Claire: Does Mommy have to go to work?
Mommy: No.
Claire: Are you gonna stay with me and play tea party?
Mommy: Yeah.
Claire: Oh.
Mommy: And then we’re gonna go pick up some lunch and then we’re gonna go get Alex, okay?
Claire: ‘Kay. But I’m hungry too.
Mommy: I know. Let’s go get a snack.
Claire: Yeah.
(Pause.)
Claire: And can I eat a little of your lunch too?
Mommy: Yeah.
Claire: ‘Kay.


Mommy: You talking to your socks?
Claire: Yeah, no I'm talking to the letters on my socks.


Claire (to Daddy): Go to work!


(Mommy is going to get lunch for everyone from Chick-Fil-A.)
Claire: Can we have, um, um, um french fries?
Mommy: Yeah.
Claire: And can we have chicken nuggets from Chick-Fil-A?
Mommy: Yeah.
Claire: Those two things.
Claire: But -- I want some other stuff. Think -- water from Chick-Fil-A. But I'm gonna get some other water.
(Claire takes her water cup to the sink.)
Claire: I'm gonna spill this water out so I can get fresh water, Mommy.

Mommy: Claire, are you allergic to peanuts?
Claire: Yeah.
Mommy: That's right. Is Alex allergic to peanuts?
Claire: Yeah.
Claire: Two of my kids, are um --
(Mommy starts laughing. Claire joins in.)

(Claire brings in a stick from the back yard.)
Claire: Um, Daddy? Um this stick is for you and me.