you just never know what they will say next

[mamajoan]

(I have a post about the school selection process underway, but it's long and complicated. So instead you get these hilarious tales about conversations I've been having with Isaac recently.)

This past Monday was Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and there was a picture of MLK on Isaac's calendar, so I took the opportunity to explain that it was his birthday and that's why we had a holiday on the day, and tried to explain a little bit about Dr. King's message and the fight against racism, and so forth. Isaac however got a bit fixated on the part about Dr. King being dead. (Age 4 is when they say it's very common for kids to become aware of the concept of death and start asking a lot of questions about it.) So for the past few days we've had quite a few conversations about e.g. How did MLK die? What was the man's name who hurt him? What day was it? What month was it? How did he hurt him? What's a gun? (yikes) But he's not going to come and hurt us, right? (at which point I explained that James Earl Ray is also dead, resulting in another round of how/why/when did he die)

So last night we're going through all of this again, and out of the blue Isaac says, "Was he my daddy?" OMG!!!!

Well, I wasn't entirely clear on whether he was referring to MLK or Ray, but either was the answer was the same. ;) No, he most certainly was not your daddy. But who is my daddy? You don't have a daddy. But when will I have a daddy? My goodness. I sure didn't know how to answer that one.

The thing is, I've very often told Isaac "Our Story," and he knows it well and often asks to hear it again. It's a simplified version of how our family came to be. But thus far he has always focused on the part about my belly getting bigger and then me going to the hospital and the baby coming out of my vagina. (and since I just got my period, this has been coupled with a lot of talk about what a period is and how it relates to having babies, "but mama, what baby is in your belly now?" "but when are you going to have another baby in your belly?") Until yesterday he hadn't shown any interest in the part of the story that takes place before my belly begins to grow. So yesterday after the whole is-MLK-my-daddy bit, I drew his attention back to Our Story and explained some more about sperm donation and that "you don't have a daddy, you have a sperm donor."

Which of course led us into another round of: where does he live? what's the name of the street? what number does he live on? did we go to his house? But so far no sign of "what's his name" or "when will I meet him" or any of that. Not yet, anyway. Who knows what tonight will bring?

Regardless, though, I can see that I'll be teasing him for the rest of his life about "remember when you were four and you asked me if Martin Luther King was your daddy?" hee hee. I guess I shouldn't laugh too much. I can remember a time when I had strong suspicions that Harrison Ford was my father. LOL!

In other funny-Isaac news, the other night I introduced him to the concept of middle names, and told him what Ruthie's is (Esther) and what his is (Solomon). There was a thoughtful pause, and then "and mama, do you know what?" me: "what?" him: "Sullivan Square is on the Orange Line." I thought it was a non sequitur, until I realized that he had heard Solomon and thought Sullivan. LOL!!! Further proof that my child is completely train-obsessed. As if we needed it. ;)

FYI, just in case anyone's interested, Our Story as I tell it goes something like this:
Once upon a time there was a woman who really really really really wanted a baby, but she didn't have a man to give her his seed. So she asked all around and finally found a very nice man who agreed to give her some of his seed. So she took it and put it inside her and mixed it with her seed, and it made a baby. And the baby grew and grew inside her belly [with accompanying hand motions to indicate ballooning belly], and then one day she went to the hospital and pushed the baby out through her vagina [usually this part gets embellished quite a bit for comic effect, which he loves]. And it was a little boy, and everyone said "oh, what a beautiful little baby boy, I wonder what his name is?" and the lady said, "I know what his name is, it's..." and then Isaac gets to yell "Isaac!!" And then I say "Yes, it was Isaac! And that baby was you, and that mama was me!" And then we repeat the whole thing with Ruthie. ;)

Comments

[orbitalmechanic.livejournal.com]

I always think of that strip from Dykes To Watch Out For when Raffi says, "Why can't I have a daddy?" and Clarice totally panics and says, "Well, see--honey--sometimes--that is--you know that when--" and Toni say, "Because you have two mommies instead," and Raffi said, "Oh. Well, can I have a dog?" (Clarice says "Okay!" and Toni says no.)

[angledge.livejournal.com]

SAME HERE! Exact same connection!

[bearblue.livejournal.com]

Oh that is pretty awesome. :)
*hugs*

[downwardlashes.livejournal.com]

I didn't have a dad, and I remember at that exact age I did the whole some-random-guy-is-my-dad thing. I was sure that Axel Rose was my dad.