The Literal World of The Lodger

The Lodger loves designing and gifting cards.

 "Mum, I made a card for Z today!"

"Fantastic. What did she say?"

"She said you made my day and in my head I thought, that's a phrase because you can't make a day!"

The Lodger is 8

During the summer,  The Lodger turned 8. I know, 8, can you believe it.  We put a call out for birthday cards and he had a fantastic time gathering them in the birthday treasure hunt.  One by one they were opened and he quizzed us on who everyone was. 

"Mum, who's this person?"

"O remember, the last PWSAI family weekend and at our table there was...." 

"The last family weekend" said The Lodger

The Lodgers face fell. I continued to explain "Yes, the last family weekend..."

"Mum, why would you tell me this on my birthday! I can't believe it, the last family weekend"

As I continued to explain and he was getting further and further upset, Rory was trying to explain to me.

"Emma, not the last weekend!"

"Eh Rory it was the last weekend!"

"No, not the last EVER weekend!"

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh"  ... it's the literal world of The Lodger!

Since then, the Lodger has been learning about phrases.

When The Lodger is thinking about things, you can almost see his brain working. Rory one day said to him, "Ah the hamster is spinning in the wheel"

"What hamster?"

"The one in your head!"

"Is this one of those phrases?" questioned The Lodger, after he checked there wasn't actually a hamster on his head. 

It's not just phrases, it's the use of the English language too. The more time you spend with The Lodger, you realise that there's many words that have many meanings. 

Cinema Tickets 

Cinema Poster

When Lockdown 1 ended, The Lodger set up a cinema for himself and his Grandmother. He had a poster, tickets and had organised a delivery service of snack and cup of tea (by Me). His Grandmother took the tickets and said "I'll hold on to those for later!" and thought nothing more of it.

Movie one ended and The Lodger looked at his Grandmother and said "What movie will we watch now?"

AH. Language.  "I'll hold on to those for later!"

So a double-cinema-showing it became, as Grandmothers are allowed to spoil their grandsons. His mean mother would've explained that 'for later' could mean any time in the future, which would take some explaining to The Lodger. 

There is no grey with The Lodger, he is literal. It's the way his brain works. It's fascinating and eye opening and often gives us a laugh. By us, I mean all of us, The Lodger included. 

"Mum you don't have eyes on the back on your head! I've checked!"

"Mum, you don't even have a hat on your head. You just have your head. No thinking hat! and a hat can't think anyway" 

"Mum you can't be under the weather. It's sick."

"Mum, what boat did you miss. O is this a phrase?!"

So The Lodger is gathering phrases. I wonder if his moments of frustration over the years could've been because of language. Of something being said that he misunderstood or couldn't explain. We'll never know about the past but going forward, I'm so proud of him for learning to think or say 'Hmmm I think that is a phrase!'