Logic, Five-year-old Style

Today's ABC Wednesday brings us to the letter L. There were several things that came to mind as I started brainstorming... love, laughter, my little ones. All things that are very important in my life. But then this morning I overheard my daughter singing a song, and it reminded me of a story, and the story always makes me smile, so I decided that I needed to share it.

My son's logic and reasoning skills have always been a source of amusement in our family. Not because it's particularly funny, but because it's just kind of unusual to meet someone his age that can be so incredibly analytical and reason his way through just about anything as well as he always has. He comes by it honestly, of course (coming from a long line of strenuous thinkers) but it's still funny to witness.

One day last year we were listening to one of the kids' CDs, and that wonderfully annoying song about the five little monkeys jumping on the bed came on.

The kids were singing along, having a good time. But for me that song has always gotten old really fast - mostly because Mama obviously isn't getting it, and telling her over and over again "no more monkeys jumping on the bed!" isn't doing any good.

So in an apparently less-than-stellar attempt at a joke, I changed the lyrics after the fourth monkey.

Mama called the doctor, and the doctor said

"Why do you keep calling me if you're not going to listen to my advice?!"

I wasn't actually expecting an answer, of course, but I got one. After just a brief pause my son said "Well... maybe she was calling a different doctor each time to see if they had any better advice." And yeah, I had to admit that made a little more sense than a woman that keeps calling to get the same advice and just keeps ignoring it every time.

I also had to admit that it's kind of sad when you try to make a joke only to be shown up by your five-year-old kid. So much for my grand comedic skills. :)