Experience the world through the eyes of children! Go back to a time of angelic innocence, delighting in the uncensored first words and ideas of "Ammie" and "Tristy. Journaled nightly by their mom from the time they began to speak until they reached about the age of seven, she later turned their reflections into poetry. Their amusing (and often surprising) words provide unique explanations of the difference between outer space and heaven and the true identity of Santa Claus, unexpected questions about sex differences in crime rates and the age of their mom, provocative opinions about how girls know best and why spiders make great pets, creative solutions for boredom in school and alcoholism, and loving emotions about their mother, grandparents-and their dog! Taken as a collection, The World According to Ammie and Tristy: Angelic reflections of my daughters provides a humorous, inspirational, and insightful look at the world of children, as well as a framework for viewing childhood education and parenting, socialization, and early child development. Enjoy the journey! The World According to Ammie and Tristy Angelic reflections of my daughters By MARY RUGGIERO AuthorHouse Copyright © 2013 Dr. Mary Ruggiero All rights reserved. ISBN: 978-1-4918-2023-0 Contents Foreword, xi, Introduction, First Expressions, 3, Explanations, Waves, 7, Flashes, 8, The Toilet Monster, 9, A Child's Santa, 11, Red Light, Green Light, Yellow, 12, Cats, 13, When God Takes You Up, It's Heaven, 14, Money, 16, Grandma's Phone Number, 17, Baby Jesus, 18, The Chocolate Egg, 19, Angels are God's People, 20, Synonyms and Antonyms, 21, Bunnies, Bunnies Everywhere, 22, Hiccups, 24, A Prayer is Just a Wish to God, 25, Ouch, 27, Questions, My Belly Bucket, 31, So Many Beans, 32, The Boob Tube, 34, Happy Ending, 35, Same Sex, 36, Lonely Kid, 37, How Old Are You?, 38, It's All Relative, 39, The Dino-dog, 40, What Do You Want to be When I Grow Up?, 41, I've Always Loved You, 43, Knowledge, 44, O-Shun, 45, The Man in the Moon, 47, Sex Crimes, 48, How Many More Days?, 49, The Questions Go On and On, 50, Opinions, I Know Everything, 53, Old Things, 54, The Wind, 55, Frustration, 56, My Pet Spider, 57, Modesty, 59, An Angel in Our House, 60, Cinderella Shoes, 62, Stairs, 63, Priorities, 64, Kids Don't Like Bad People, 65, Financial Genius, 66, Grandpa Is Proud, 67, God Loves Children Best, 68, Tristy, 69, Solutions, School, 73, Family Doctor, 74, The Lunch Lady, 75, Alcohol, 76, Let's Start Over, 77, Plan of Attack, 78, I Hate Yelling, 79, I've Never Eaten Chocolate Chip Cookies on the Potty Before, 80, Fan, 81, Chick, Chick, 82, Brush Your Teeth, 83, New Dog, 84, Congratulations, 85, What's Your Favorite Color?, 86, Emotions, My Dog Max, 91, Do I Have to Grow Up?, 93, Runaway Child, 94, The Nicest Words I've Ever Heard, 95, First Friend, 96, I Can See Myself in Your Eyes, 97, The Sky, 98, At the Park, 99, The Bestest Daughter, 100, I Love Grandpa, 101, Sleepover, 102, Conclusion, My Life, 105, CHAPTER 1 Explanations      Waves     "Mom!" my little girl shouted,     "I'm not afraid of the beach anymore!"     "That's wonderful," I touted,     And thought, what's different today from before?     "I used to look at the big waves far away,     And not the ones by the shore—     They were giants, but not today,     They're not monsters anymore."     "Because today I noticed something smart,     Maybe you've seen it, too?     No matter how big a wave may start,     It ends up littler than you!"      Flashes     It started to pour,     I heard thunder roar.     Then came the crash,     And bright lightning flash.     To my girl's school I ran,     So I could hold her hand.     On her way home,     I didn't want her to moan.     I wasn't prepared,     To see her not scared.     Water poured through her hair,     While she just stood there.     I asked her to hurry,     She told me not to worry—     Her picture God was taking,     With flashes he was making.     With the lightning from above,     She was basking in God's love.      The Toilet Monster     How much trouble     Could it possibly be,     To push a darn handle     Right after you pee?     But toilets are left     Many a time     With contents remaining,     It sure seems a crime.     If you live in a house     With children around,     The toilet monster's the culprit     I've finally found.     He's ugly and smelly     And lives deep down the drain,     He comes up when you flush,     Hence the nasty bowl stains.     Still stains are hardly     The worst of it;     He'll pinch your behind,     Right while you sit!     Even if you wait to flush     Once you're up,     He'll jump out of the bowl     And grab you, sure `nough!     And squeeze you and squeeze you     `Til your eyes and nose bleed,     So take my advice—     My words surely heed:     Next time your