I sprinted downstairs to share this one. My poor son is suffering from some sort of allergy-cold nastiness that doesn't seem to be responding to any of the drugs I hate giving him. Therein lies the inspiration for this one...at least until the curveball:
Son: Where does snot come from?
Me: *completely and genuinely excited* That's a great question! I've always wondered that, too. How is it that no matter how much you blow your nose, there's always more snot left in your head? You know what? If you wake up a little early tomorrow, we'll Google it! Great question, son!
Son: Hey! Let's look up where mucus comes from, too! *beaming proudly*
Me: Uh...snot is mucus...I think there must be some organ in our body that only makes snot.
Son: Uh...what's an organ?
Me: An organ is a part of your body that keeps it working, like your heart. (Best I could do.)
Son: Oh. I wish I was a doctor. Doctors know all the parts of your body...I think that you just have a lot of boogers, and somehow your nose turns it into snot. That's where it comes from...Where do boogers come from?
Me: Exactly! Exactly! I just don't know.
Son: Um...Mama?
Me: Yes?
Son: Why did that lady think she was really a boy and get her body changed?
Me: *reaching for the curveball and cursing the pregnant man's ubiquity* Er...uh...Everybody's different. And, some people in their minds and hearts feel like they're in the wrong body. Now, go to sleep.
Son: Mama?
Me: Yeah?
Son: I love you.
So...did I catch it? Or, did I strike out?
