Using movie quotes to communicate has it pros and cons

Here's how it works when you ask her a question.

Sometimes she answers, but sometimes, she stares, like she's been abandoned by her own mind, and she's come up empty for an appropriate answer.

When that happens, she usually picks the nearest approximation. Mostly, it's something from a movie that we've seen recently. That wasn't such a horrible thing now, because she often uses poignant Disney quotes that at least made everyone smile.

But she's going to get older and watch different movies.

At eight years old, if I ask her, "How was school today?" she would probably answer with something from Finding Nemo.

"Just keep swimming," she'd chime. "Just keep swimming."

"Ah!" I can say, and wonder if we've Made A Breakthrough.

But that won't last forever.  In six years, she's going to be a whole lotta adolescent, and more likely to answer with something from an Ed Norton movie.

"How was school today," I will ask.

"The first rule of Fight Club," she will say, "is you don't talk about Fight Club. The second rule of Fight Club is. You don't. Talk. About. Fight Club."

I probably won't ask how school went all that much.