Reasoning Skills

“Buttocks … buttocks … buttocks.”

Clearly, the seven year-old needed to get something out of his system, but it hadn’t occurred to me until that very moment to ask him, “Why do you like butts so much, Puck?”

He grinned, with a ready answer. “Because they’re smushy!”

I guess I can’t argue with that one.

Wasn’t too pleased with the kid following church service when I saw him man-handle two chocolate chip cookies at the same time.

Later he informed me that one, “no, two, actually,” mini chocolate cupcakes with pink frosting had been added to that sugary inhale.

“Puck, I don’t like you having sugar,” I explained to him after the fact on the drive to the Big House.

“Mom, sugar’s good for you!”

“Not really.”

He held up both hands to rephrase his answer. “What I’m trying to say is – if you don’t have enough sugar, you will die!”

Again, can’t argue…

Post-lunch was basically a large council in the living room regarding tornadic activity and safety precautions in recent years as we lolled around the fire.

“Actually, Dave Murray says we’re going to have warmer than average temperatures this April.”

“That’s what they said last year, and it was a dud.”

About this time, Rose carted up a large Tupperware of her old keepsakes: Horse show ribbons, Polly Pockets, Magic Attic Club Dolls, American Girl paper dolls, railroad spike collection, postcards from the English children family vacations, broken snow globes, ceramic pyramid made in ceramics class…

“Rose, did you have to do a nude project in ceramics class too?” Francis wanted to know.

“No…”

“Oh. Well, for my nude project, I just made a ball of clay and stuck it on a pedestal. I got an A.”

“How on earth did you get an A?”

“Well, I just told him, ‘It’s exposed!’”

Puck had one last question, tucked under his Angry Bird covers, before falling asleep that night.

“Dad? Can my name be ‘Boo Boo Chicken’ on Minecraft?”