I really am trying, but it is uphill

Yesterday I was doing progress monitoring and a girl read a story that was set in Vietnam.  After reading, I have them tell me everything they remember from the story.

She said, "Well, it was in a country that doesn't even exist."

After she was finished, I told her that Vietnam does actually exist.  She said, "Really?!?"

We are singing The Alphabet of Nations for our culture program in the spring.  I taught them the letters in sign language so they go through them as we sing, "Algeria, Bulgaria, Cambodia..." which they love.

My know-it-all student raised his hand and said in a very, I know more than you way, "Did you know West Xylophone isn't actually a country?"

I said that I did know that.  I had indeed told them that when we first learned the song.  He said, "There are countries that start with X, but they are too small to be countries."

I said, "Then they aren't countries..."

He said, "No.  They are.  They are just too small to be countries."

I said OK and we moved on.

One boy randomly said, "I hate lemurs!  No offense to lemurs, guys."

None...taken?

A girl told me very seriously after lunch recess that she is allergic to snow.  She said, "I had some on my neck and it turned red."

I said, "I think that's because snow is so cold.

She said, "No.  It's an allergy."

I said, "It's water."

She said, "But I turned very red."

I said OK and we moved on.