Memories for Later

Matthew has recently forsaken the "Why?" stage of childhood, instead requiring infinite answering to variations of "What if?"

"What if someone threw our mailbox in the middle of the ocean?"  (We would have to ride in a boat to check our mail.)  "Or the mailman could swim out and bring it back for us."

"What if a snake came and ate me and I had to pee?" (I guess you'd have to go in the snake.) "Or I could karate chop it in half and step out of it."

"What if blue was really yellow?"  (Then the sky would look really different, wouldn't it?) "Hee, hee, the sky would be yellow."

"What if we didn't have any water at our house?"  (We would get thirsty and dirty.)  "Does Grandma have water at her house?"

I look forward to driving in the car, as I never know what question will come next.  He mixes in matter of fact statements with the questions.  "When I grow up I will be a monster, or else Darth Vader."  The philosophical stage of 3-5 year-old children is really one of my favorites.  I love seeing how their mind works and watching them begin to understand the world around them.

It is nice relief for the other questions I get each day.

"Mom, why does everyone else on the bus get a cell phone?"  (Because you don't need to spend your life texting.  Anyway, you'll appreciate it more when you've earned the money for it yourself.)

"Mom, want to know how I did on my health quiz about the human reproductive symptom?"  (Was it any different from what we talked about?  I hope you didn't mislabel anything!)

"Honey, have you started the taxes/dinner/laundry yet?" (No, I'm hoping if I ignore all three long enough they will all go away.)

As Matthew has grown through the phases of childhood, I have relished finishing that stage of parenting.  But I think this one I'm going to miss.  Joseph, as a seasoned, all-knowing kindergartner is already outgrowing it.  I'm trying to enjoy the short years I have left with a preschooler as much as possible.  He is really making it easy to do!

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 This post is in part brought to you by an award I received from Amber at Making the Moments Count.  It is the Lemonade Stand Award for showing an attitude for gratitude.  Thanks Amber!  I have one more award I want to talk about and will be sharing some blogs with it, so keep tuned in.