Conversation with a four year old...

Lila gets very contemplative during car rides, and then she will ask the most random questions.

"Mom? How do cats move by themselves?"

"What do you mean?"

"How do they move?"

"Do you mean 'How do they walk around?' or 'How do they go live in a different place?'"

"How can they walk around?"

"Well, they have bodies with bones and muscles and brains, and their brain tells their muscles how to move."

Exasperated sigh, "Mom, cats do NOT have brains!"

"I know some people would agree with that, but they do have brains. All animals have brains."

"Hey, do you want to hear me sing the ABC's?"

"Yes I would."

"A-B-C-D-H-I-J"

"Wait, wait! What about E-F-G?"

"Oh right, A-B-C-D-H-I-J"

This went on for several minutes. If I sang it with her she could get all the letters, but on her own she couldn't remember E-F-G. When I asked her why she sighed and said, "I don't know... they just won't stick into my brains."

We sang it together one more time and the last line I sang in my best fake opera voice. "Won't you sing with meeeeeee!"

Lila giggled and said, "Why are you singing like an old woman?"

So I sang it as deep as I could.

"That's like a boy voice!"

Then I started to sing random tunes but using animals noises instead of words. I meowed, barked, quacked, mooed, neighed, baa-ed, and oinked. I was impressed that she even guessed fish right when I made quiet popping sounds with my lips.

As I pulled up to the preschool I sang one last tune in my normal voice. She thought for a moment and then guessed, "Walrus!"

I know I'm not a great singer, but I certainly don't sound like a walrus, thank you very much! Ah well, nothing can prick the ego faster than the honesty of a child...