Well, it's started to happen...grown up questions from an almost 4 year old. Twice in the last week Blake has brought up dying. Ouch! Wasn't there an easier topic we could have started with?
One evening last week Blake told me he had to tell me something that happened at school. He proceeded to tell me how one of their class birds had died. He said he was sad but he was going to be a good friend to the other bird. Miss Yelena had told the kids that one bird died and now all the kids had to be the remaining bird's friends because he was lonely. She also apparently told them that maybe they would see the other (the dead one) bird out the window of an airplane someday. Hmmm? Not sure about that one, but hey that was good enough for Blake so we moved on quickly from that conversation.
Then last night came...
Every night Kurt or I read to Blake. A while back I started something where after we are done reading we "talk". It's like clockwork, Blake says "let's talk", then he gets all nestled down in his bed, he turns on his side and then flashes his cute little smile and says "what should we talk about?" The topics vary widely. Sometimes it's about whoever's birthday or birthday party is coming up, sometimes it's about "back when he was in my belly", you get the idea. Last night he asked me "why do people get died?" At first I was really hoping he meant "get their hair dyed" but I figured I wasn't that lucky. I asked why he was asking. Nothing. So, I began to tell him that sometimes when people have lived a REALLY long and happy life or if they get really sick or hurt, they die. I could see the worrying starting in his eyes, especially since he was home sick yesterday. Then he asked me if Grandma and Grandpa's die. Crap. I said yes, but said not for a very long time. I was starting to choke back tears myself when he asked the real humdinger..."do little boys and girls die?" CRAP!!! So I said what any of us would say. No.
I then went on to tell him that he was going to live forever alongside Mommy and Daddy and Luke. I realize I will have to some major explaining someday, but for now, I'm okay with him thinking he will never live a day without us. And hopefully we are done with this conversation topic for a few years.
Finally! It will take a few years (or decades) for the landscaping to fill out, but the outside of our new house is finally done! While we were in Indiana the painters came and finished painting our garage doors. And we have spent the last 3 weekends getting the porch just right with furniture and flowers. We love it and feel like we can fnally relax a bit. I am anxious for this warm weather to stick around so we can sit on the porch and rock while the boys ride their bikes and play with their neighborhood friends. Now we just need people to build on either side of us so we can get rid of the dirt mounds and overgrown clover!
