Fact Checking

After turning off the kids lights on Sunday night, I returned to watching TV with Brian (so exciting.... actually it's another post to consider the amount of TV that we actually DON'T watch anymore) and grabbed my phone.  Why?  I needed to fact-check my conversation with Jacob. (which was, not shockingly, entirely accurate)

It was a lengthy conversation, so I won't recount the whole thing line by line - but we'd told the kids about Great-Grandma's death and Jacob was asking if it was ok if he told his teacher and friends (yes, of course).  I asked if he was sad about it and he said yes, but he was also sad about Harry Houdini.  Huh?  Apparently Harry Houdini died from a punch in the stomach.  Jacob told me the whole story (which I didn't know). 

Then I said something like, "well, it's OK to be sad about Great-grandma and Harry Houdini."  And then Jacob added - "and John Bradley."  Well - who the heck is John Bradley??  So I got the whole story about John Bradley, the WW2 vet and soldier who fought in Iwa Jima, and was famous for raising the flag after the battle.  And then I learned all about where he lived and what he did and how he didn't take the credit but instead gave it to all the men who died fighting.

Uh - OK.  Apparently "they read a book."  The next chapter is (LOL) Joe McCarthy.  The book is Wisconsin Hometown Heroes (a.k.a - things you don't learn in Illinois - but who around here has ever heard of Casmir Pulaski, huh???). 

So, I guess this week we'll be sad for Great-grandma, Harry Houdini, John Bradley, and Joe McCarthy.  At least Great-grandma gets to keep interesting company.