Nakedness

Four-year-old logic is an oxymoron. Four-year-olds couldn't reason their way out of a cardboard box with an opening on the top. But, their lack of logic makes for good blog posts....

On the way to Preschool today, The Babe asked if monkeys were naked. I pulled the parenting stunt of responding to a question with a question "Do YOU think monkeys are naked?"

"No, I don't."
Being a little cantakerous, I responded "Well, if your penis and bottom were showing, would you be naked?"
Giggling "Yes."
"Well, then, why aren't monkeys naked if THEIR penises and bottoms are showing?"

Conversation paused for a good 30 seconds while every neuron in his brain fired at full capacity.

"They just aren't. They're monkeys."
"Well, what about dogs? Are Doug and Tex naked?"
Giggling again. Looking at Doug. "Yeah. But they don't care."

True. They don't. They also don't mind leaving poopy presents on the back seat of the car when Mommy runs in for a bagel and coffee after Preschool drop-off. Naked or no, they're lucky their full-clothed owners aren't prone to snap decisions about returning pets to their original owners.*

The Babe nor I came to concensus on what constitutes animal nakedness, but it made for interesting conversation.

And, I avoided being sucked into a never-ending debate on adopting a baby monkey.

Thank goodness for being first in the carpool line when that line of questioning started.


*Or, driving them far away from Dallas, to an open field. I'm pretty sure we'd have a full-length movie come out of it if we did this to Doug because I'm CONVINCED that "I'm-going-to-crap-where-I-want-and-you'll-like-it" hound of a dog would find his way home.