The Logic of A Five Year Old

So. This morning I pull Anna's folder out of her backpack to record the stories she read/heard from Pajamarama at the library last night. (In her pre-K program - her 'homework' is reading every night.) I just so happen to glance at the sheet on the right side of the folder that lays out the week and where her teachers record the good, bad, and ugly moments of her days for us.

And there highlighted in yellow for Tuesday it says "student must bring in an item from a past vacation or trip to present to the class."

Now, I'm sure there must have been previous notes sent home about this, or updates on the class website. And if I read them, I promptly forgot them. Deleted them from my ever failing memory. Because I'm Mother Of The Year and I never remember to do anything on time anymore.

So now it's 7:38 - we're in the process of scavenging shoes and jackets and bags and bottles and changes of clothes - and I really don't have time to search for "an item from a past vacation or trip."

And for that matter, when exactly is the last time our family took a vacation or a trip for fun where our child would have brought home some piece of memorabilia?

But I digress.

So I turn to Anna and ask her 'Did you know you were supposed to bring something special in today from a vacation or trip?' The response: 'Oh yes, Mommy, and we're going to present it to our class.'

After sternly telling her that she's five years old now and should be able to remember her assignments - I told her to go find something. Quickly.

She runs up the stairs screaming something about her seashells - the ones she's collected from various trips to the beach from about a million years ago. Great. That'll work.

What does she return with?

A Groovy Girl Doll.

I told her "no - it's supposed to be something you got on a trip - remember??" To which she says "MOMMY - I got it in CHARLESTON."

Me: Yes Anna, you did get it in Charleston, from one of my college friends who lives in NEW YORK who brought it to you. When we happened to meet her at Folly Beach three years ago. It's not actually FROM Charleston.

Anna: Yeah - but I got it when I was in Charleston.

How do I argue with that logic?