Childlike Wonder: Questions from the Backseat

Skyler and I spend around an hour in the car together each day during the week for our commute. And to date we’ve had some of the funniest, most random, most annoying, most logical, most illogical, and memorable conversations. She’s full of questions, and her questions usually beget more questions. I guess it’s probably her “why” stage, or maybe the precursor, because she doesn’t yet ask “why” or understand what it means to answer that question.

Samples:

Skyler: Mommy, it’s a choo choo twain! Why is it not dwiving?
Me: The driver must not be there yet.
Skyler: Oh……Who drives the twain?
Me: He’s called an engineer.
Skyler: Oh.
(Quiet)
Skyler: Where’s the engineer?
Me: Um…probably at home, still in bed.
Skyler: Is he at our home?
Me: No. His home.
Skyler: Oh….so how does he get in the twain to dwive it?
Me: Through a door.
Skyler: Where’s the door? I can’t see it!
Me: I’m sure the door is on the other side of the train.
Skyler: Oh.

___

Me: Skyler, did you know that Christmas is somebody’s birthday?
Skyler: Yeah!!!
Me: Who’s birthday is it?
Skyler: Skyah’s!!!
Me: No….it’s Baby Jesus’ birthday.
Skyler: Oh. Who’s Baby Jesus?
Me, thinking Crap! Who IS Baby Jesus to a 3-year-old? Um, Baby Jesus is very special and he is why we have Christmas.
Skyler: Oh….so….where is Baby Jesus?
Me (I thought I was doing a great thing introducing Skyler to the meaning of Christmas, but this might be way too over her head for a car discussion): Well…he’s…up in the sky!
Skyler (looking up through the moon roof): But I don’t see him up there!?!?
Me (Sigh): Yeah, you can’t see him. He’s…um…we’ll read a picture book about him sometime when we get home, so then you can see him.
Skyler: Oh.