Heavy Stuff

This is one of those conversations that made me feel choked up, and also worried that it would give Felix too much to worry about. But the lack of trauma is pretty much summed up by his final word.

Felix: When I was a little teeny tiny baby, I rode the Orange Line all the way to the end and then the Brown Line. That was in 1988.
Keir: 1988? You weren't even born yet.
F: 6028.
K: 6028? That hasn't happened yet. That's a long long time from now.
F: Will you be dead by then?
K: Yes, we all will.
F: Why do we die?
K: It's kind of like taking turns. We get a nice long life and then we have to die so other people can have a turn. If nobody died, the earth would get too crowded.
F: Will they ever come alive again?
K: We don't know, but we don't think so.
F: Huh.

Bad Dreams and Elusive Thoughts

Trying to tiptoe out of the kids' room.

Felix: Daddy, I'm having a bad dream.

Keir: You haven't even fallen asleep yet. You can't have a bad dream if you're not asleep.

Felix: ...

Keir: What are you dreaming about?

Felix: I don't know.

(Brief backrub ensues. Keir tries to leave again.)

Felix: Daddy, I'm thinking about...I'm thinking about...I'm thinking about...I'm thinking about...

Keir: ...

Felix: I don't know what I'm thinking about.

That's Just Weird

Felix, sitting sideways in his chair and exploring my armpit with his toe:

F: I could just dig in there and make a home there . . . it's warm and cozy.

*****

A budding environmentalist:

F: They shouldn't cut down too many trees for two reasons: one, because birds need to live in them. Two, because trees need to live. And stay standing.

*****

In bed, gazing lovingly at his tram engine.

F: Toby is just dreaming about Toby. And I am dreaming about Percy.

*****

Admiring the new train gear.

C: Look at that train track is.

F: I am just so happy and next Christmas when Grandma Nancy and Grandpa Wolf come I will be just so proud of them for giving us a diesel train and track supports.

****

On the bus after school.

F: Holy crap! We're almost to Lawrence.
K: Felix, don't say that.
F: But at Josh and Jenni's house, Sarah said "Holy crap!" just to be funny.
K: Well, I don't want you to say it. (Sounding lame even to himself.) Try saying something else, like "applesauce," or "horsefeathers" . . .
F: Poopy. Poopy.

The Chatterbox Cafe

Felix, of course, gets more ink here because he speaks in complete sentences. But Cosmo's been talking a lot more, too, and I've been meaning for awhile to document some of his words and phrases. The only problem is that every time I write down a list of things, I don't get it posted in time, and a week later he's got a whole new line of gab.

A few weeks ago, the list looked like this:

a knocka over (the item was knocked over)

eh milk (I would like some milk, please)

Como (Cosmo)

Como's (Cosmo's)

too much

doo dat (I want to do that, too)

talking bout? (what is the nature of your discussion?)

doing? (please explain your actions to me)

But today, even though he still calls himself "Como" (not like the lake, but like "Kah-mo"), these words and phrases have become phrases and simple sentences. Moments ago, he came in and asked, "What are you doing, Daddy?" And he'll ask, "What are you talking bout?"

Sweetly, when he wants to be carried, he still demands that we, "Carry you." And he shows inclinations toward a career as a professional athlete by referring to himself in the third person: "Hurt Como's head!"

Sometimes Cosmo will sit in his room playing or reading and just talking away. When Grandma Nancy and Grandpa Wolf were here, they called it "the Chatterbox Cafe." Felix remembers that--just the other day, he told me, "Cosmo's in the Chatterbox Cafe!"

You'd Think They'd Have Those in Chicago

Overheard this morning.

Cosmo: Crush my bones.
Felix: Mommy, Cosmo is telling me to crush his bones.
Marya: I don't think he really knows what that means.
Felix: Cosmo, we can't crush our bones because there is no crusher around here.
Cosmo: Crush my bones!
Felix: We can't crush our bones because THERE IS NO CRUSHER AROUND HERE.

(For the worried, this has something to do with some dialog in the Thomas the Tank Engine movie--the bad train tells someone he'll crush their bones, or something like that....)