Snow Up There

"Mommy, why is the snow up there?" I glance out Christian's side of the car as he asked me this question, wondering what Christmas decoration he's spied this time, that is still tiredly hanging on to the holiday season that past so quickly.  My eyes scan between the landscape and traffic, searching for the "snow".  "Mommy!?" I hear again from the back seat.  My eyes dart back to steal a glance at his to figure out what he is looking at. He is lounging in his car seat, head laid back, mellow and gazing up into the sky, that was filled with big fluffy clouds.  His "snow."

I smile now as I type at the memory, how sweet and innocent, unbridled imagination. It makes me stop and realize just how much Christian has to learn, experience, enjoy, dream and be inquisitive about. It nudges that part of me that loves to learn, planting that seed of excitement to want to learn something new.  Like I need to take on one more thing right now :)

As soon as I realize he is talking about the clouds, my mind snaps to attention and searches for an answer.  Now I want to give him the facts, but not too complicated, but a part of me wants to insert some fantasy element to spark his imagination. "Well that isn't snow, those are clouds."  Christian is currently in the "why?" phase, which is fascinating to actually see him thinking with the expressions on his face, but this phase can also be annoying if the "whys" don't stop.  For example:
     Me: That isn't snow, those are clouds.    
     Christian: Why?
     Me: Because clouds live in the sky.
     Christian: Why?
     Me: Because that's where they are made.
     Christian: Why?
     Me: They are part of the weather, like rain and sunshine.
     Christian: Why?
     Me: Because that's the way God made it.
     Christian: Why?
     Me: (getting tired now) Because God is the smartest ever and knows we need clouds.
     Christian: Why?
     Me: (me floundering now) Because that's what God wants to do, and he gets to do whatever he  
             wants, whenever he wants.
     Christian: Why?
     Me: Because he's God.
     Christian: Why?
     Me: Because that's just the way it is.
The end finally!

I then got about a three minute reprieve and then came, "Mommy, how do birds stick up there?"  Shit, are you kidding me???  I'm not sure I can think how to explain that one so I decided to redirect from the start. "They have wings made of feathers, that help them float on the air.  You know feathers, like the one you found in the park."  Any mention of the word "park" leads to, "Can we go to the park?"  The "Why Loop", as I call it, was detoured, at least this time.  The conversation continued on about the park, which park should we go to, what's his favorite thing at the park, etc.

His curiosity is definitely waking up a part of my imagination that has been dormant, as well as improving my communication skills that some things just need to be explained in simple terms.  It's a wonderful phase he's going through but also exhausting and a test to my patience at times.  It's definitely keeping me on my toes.

So my question to all of you is, did you laugh today?  Why???
~Amy