Thursday, February 19, 2009

Which Came First: The Parents or the Kid?

This conversation was just too funny not to post. At lunch today, Abigail brought up for some reason "when Daddy was a little boy." I don't remember what brought that into the conversation, but what matters is all that followed.

Abigail: Daddy, when were you little?
Paul: A long time ago, before you were born.
Abigail: When you were little, only Mommy took care of me. Because you were little.
Me, to Paul: So you were little, and I am obviously a hundred years old.
Paul: No, when I was a little boy, Mommy was a little girl. You weren't born yet.
Abigail: Where was I?
Paul: You didn't exist.
Abigail: But where was I?
Paul: You weren't born yet. You didn't exist.
Me, to Paul: Could you say she was in heaven?
Paul, ever the theologian: No, she didn't exist yet.
Abigail: BUT WHERE WAS I?
Me: Abigail, believe it or not, Daddy and I had a whole long life before you were here. We were little kids way before you grew in my tummy and were born.
Abigail: BUT WHERE WAS I????

The conversation is starting to turn ugly.

Paul, switching thinking gears: Okay, let's put it this way. Abigail, do you want Mommy to have another baby someday?
Abigail: Yes, but will it be a boy baby or a girl baby?
Paul: Let's say Mommy is going to have a baby boy. (Of course he would choose that)
Abigail: I want a baby brother named Buster.

At this, Paul and I both cracked up, Abigail got sensitive about us cracking up at what she said, and she burst into tears. We assured her that we were not laughing at her, just at a funny thing she said. I told her Buster was a great name for a baby boy.

Paul: Okay, let's say Mommy is going to have a baby boy, and we can call him Buster. Where is that baby right now?
Abigail, tearfully: (Sniff, sniff) In heaven?
Paul: No. The baby doesn't exist yet because God hasn't made him yet.

Lightbulb moment. Why didn't we try the whole "God makes babies" thing in the first place?

Me: God has to make a baby first. Just like He made you, and you started out so small we couldn't even see you. But you got bigger and bigger in my tummy, and then you were born! So, when Daddy and I were little kids, God just hadn't made you yet.
Paul: Does that make sense?
Abigail: Mm-hmm.

Me: And if we have a baby boy, we might give him a different name. But you can call him Buster.

8 comments:

Amber said...

Don't you just love the conversations that you have with your kids, where they don't understand, and you can't quite figure out a way to explain it on their level!! lol, that was to funny!

MamaS said...

I don't know...I agree with Abigail....Buster would be a good name....He could be a WWE wrestler...Buster da Coop. She preferred Chester last week...maybe you should check into name searches with ter as an ending.....hmmm?

Stacey said...

That's sweet, Amy! I remember when my nephew had a freak-out moment about something that happened before he was born. When we said he wasn't born yet he asked if he was dead! Poor guy! :)

Way to nip that Buster thing in the bud! :D

Chris said...

Still a better name than Mickey Mouse Cooper or Pooh Bear Cooper... :-)

Amber said...

Noah wanted to name his baby sister Daisy, because he liked the commercial for the sour cream!! :)

Anonymous said...

LOL! I love my conversations with my kiddos! Don't think they'll stop being funny when she gets older - hormones hit and they do strange things to a teenagers brain. E :)

Paul said...

You left out one of the best parts. When I said, "You are not eternal."

Anonymous said...

buster... so cute. i love it! if he was a little paul, he could be bust-a-move buster at all the dance parties.