Communication Breakdown

It's important to be specific with kids. They are very literal little people. Sunday afternoon C went skating, the first Sunday session we've gone to since the club started. I explained that unlike Tuesday nights, there was no group lesson, he was just to have free time for 45 minutes. He seemed to get it but then he got on the ice and went immediately to the back and glommed onto the basic skills class Katie was teaching. Katie either took it in stride or didn't realize he wasn't signed up to be in the class.
After the session was over he informed me:
"You were wrong, momma, there was a lesson."
Monday night I was trying to get everyone undressed in order to get them into their pajamas and subsequently into bed. I had already asked C numerous times to take off his sweat pants when the kitchen timer went off and I had to go downstairs and take some stuff out of the oven. When I got back upstairs he was stark naked and rearranging the furniture in his brother's room.
When I yelled at him and declared I wasn't going to read him any books because he still wasn't in his pajamas he said:
"But momma, you didn't say to put my pajamas on."
Of course the reverse is also true. It's important to get specifics when they tell you something.
Last night C dictated this letter which I dutifully wrote down:
A note for the fairies
Please make sure at [sic] everything goes back in its place. Make sure you have cleaned the house and please wash our sink. If you would like to, you can do it with your wands.
Thank You,
C

So, before going to bed I washed down the kitchen sink and cleared everything off the countertop. I don't know where he's getting this notion of fairies, if I wanted him to be well acquainted with fairy lore I'd send him to the Waldorf school.
First thing in the morning he's up.
"I wonder if the fairies came," he mused.
Then he went straight into the bathroom and looked in the sink.
"It's still dirty!"

song: Communication Breakdown • artist: Led Zeppelin