Interview # 2

(“G” spends 5 minutes setting up her papers and accessories.)
Q. Ready?
G. Ya..
Q. So it’s been a while since our last interview, why?
G. Well, I’ve been finishing my Maine story… (Leaves to get tape)
Q. Why do you need the tape?
G. I need to tape my notes together.
Q. Ok. Is the Maine story going to be your first post?
G. Yes I think so.
Q. When do you think you will be finished?
G. I think I will be finished by the…around the end of February (writes as I type).
Q. So what else have you been doing?
G. Well I’ve been doing a 3rd grade math quiz.
Q. What is that?
G. Picture a map the United States and you click the state into the right spot before the time runs out.
Q. What does that have to do with math?
G. Ohhh, there is no math.
Q. What is the best you’ve done?
G. I think 42 out of 48. There is no Alaska and Hawaii.. yah you know what I’m talking about (said with a little attitude). (G., noticing all red squiggly lines under the words dad’s been typing.) Boy, you got a lot of stuff to correct.
Q. Wow 42 out of 48, and you’re only in second grade! (At this point dad notices a map of the US on the desk, things start to make sense.)
Q. Did you learn anything today?
G. Nothing! Because I don’t have school today.
Q. So you didn’t learn anything at home?
G. Nope.
Q. Ok different direction. When you look up into the sky at night what do you see?
G. Wait a second...(Writes question down, dad waits).
Q. Question repeated.
G. Hold on...(accidentally snaps balloon she was playing with, stinging her hand, yells out, then breaks out in laughter.) (From the other room mom asks where the DVD remote is. Dad responds. The question is repeated louder. Louder response given.)
Q. Ok, what do you see when you look up into the sky at night?
G. I see how pretty the stars are, (G. starts to write answer down, meanwhile mom starts singing in the background to a U2 DVD, which lasts for the remainder of interview. Must have had a glass of wine or two. LOL)...I like sitting on the front step at night with my dad and a blanket looking at the stars. Sometimes we would see bats or an owl.
Q. What do you think about when you look at the stars?
G. I think stars have different planets...and they have different countries on the other side of them.
Q. What do you mean?
G. Like Russia and China.
Q. Do you think there is life there?
G. Yes.
Q. What do you think they look like?
G. I think they look Chinese.
Q. Why?
G. Because China is on the other side.
Q. Oh, did you know they found “life” on Mars?
G. Cooool! (corrects my typing)...that should be capitals. I think there are some houses on Mars, but not many, but there are a lot of volcanoes.
Q. Anything else?
G. No. (G. has dad sign her notes she had taken, to make it official.)