From the Backseat #12, 13, 14...... He Ponders

It’s hard to imagine that I don’t know EVERYTHING Brighton thinks about. If I were the risky type, I would bet my Starbucks money on the fact that whatever forms as a thought behind those brown eyes comes out a couple of inches below. Some things that exit his mouth, still full of baby teeth by the way, make me wonder how long he’s been thinking about it or and why what he said was important to him. I picture him rolling these things over in his mind while he is lying in his bed when I was hoping he was listening to Mary Poppins or the Tale of Desperaux on CD-- but instead he is thinking of things like this that pop out when he is bored in my backseat.

You can imagine grocery store magazine racks cause plenty of thoughts and colorful commentary-- almost makes me want to play “I Spy” with him using the opposite candy rack. Almost. This particular week, the papparazzi was showing the general public pictures of what we see in the mirror every time we put on a swim suit but because the body parts belong to someone famous, we all want to know WHO likes Mexican food and Blizzards as much as we do. Hours had passed and while headed to baseball practice I hear, “Mom, you know that yellow bathing suit? WHY does she DO that?” My answer? “I have NO idea.” Anyway, I have heard about the very tiny back of those yellow bottoms a few more times since then. (We have officially started “Operation Look Away”.)

We finished school a couple of Thursdays ago and headed off to the lake to celebrate. Part of the celebration included their getting to see Shrek Forever After. (I could hardly contain my excitement. Animations-- one of the perks of raising young children! Eyes rolling OUT of my head.) The plot will have him up for weeks. (Think Disney style “It’s a Wonderful Life” and instead of the tall, lanky and glorious Jimmy Stewart and sweetness itself personified as Donna Reed, think disco dancing green ogres with trumpets for ears, a chubby Chesire, and a talking donkey.) I have no idea how he enjoyed the movie at all because he was clueless of what happened and my, of course, brilliant explanation helped not ONE iota. The next day, from the back seat, in true 6 year old form he intertwined my failed attempt to help him "get" the movie with his understanding of what he saw and it came out something like this, “The devil made him miss his birthday party, and even though Shrek was never born, he made a bad choice and was still a big boy the WHOLE movie. How'd he lose his birthday, Mom? And does the devil really look like that?” Weeks, I tell you. He will lose sleep for weeks figuring that one out.

I get preconceived thoughts like this daily- very simple but thought through at some point in his day or night:

“I am your kid. I will get married and have kids. They will get married and have kids and those kids will get married and have kids and it just goes all over the whole world!!”

“Now there are 3 girls and 3 boys in our family. Me, Dad and Gabe then you, Julia and Emily (our new friend who has come to live with us)”

“Mom, did you live in the ‘back then’?” (Gotta love that.)

But here is my favorite of his latest ponderings that escaped his mouth while riding in my back seat and I have to wonder, how long has this one been brewing?

“Mom, you know those guys with the earrings? (holding both ears with his fingers) How does it make their pants fall down?”