Jo Cool Mama

Curious Sammy has asked the question I knew would one day pop up – I just had not expected it this soon. “Mommy, why are you walking like that?” It was like all of a sudden he looked at me with new eyes, and realized something he had never realized before – mommy has an odd little limpy walk. I figured when he asked it would be because other kids inquired why his mommy had a limp or why she walked funny – but I had never expected it at age five nor from his own quandary. So, after I stopped laughing I simply said, “Because I have muscle weakness.” Sammy, being the inquisitive little fella that he is, repeated, “muscle weakness” although it did not sound like muscle weakness, what it did sound like was some horrible disease. I was cracking up and said very slowly, “Muscle weakness.” “Ohhhhh…” Sammy said, “muscle weakness.” He took it for what it was and asked nothing more. Although, I failed to include that he was walking all around the kitchen mimicking me. For the record anyone else doing that – I would have ripped them a new one. My cute little Sammy who has no clue – he’s the exception. (yes, Jack will also be the exception)

Sammy has always been curious about everything, “Mommy how does the microwave work?” He’s always wanting to know information from people, “Where’s your little boy?” from people without children. Sammy will ask you straight  out, “Are you fat or is something in there?” Ohhhh yeah.We have always been proud of our little Sammy… but lately the questions are getting embarrassing. He stated to us where poo and pee come from with a questionable tone and we told him he was correct. He is awed that men stand to pee while women sit, and he gets that he has a penis and girls have a vagina – but he doesn’t completely understand what a vagina is. Sammy is perplexed by woman’s breasts and why don’t men have the same things? We called my breasts “Num num’s” because I breastfeed the baby and so Sammy assumes the entire female species has “Num num’s” but in his scientific thinking mind, Sam must first ask every woman he knows… Case in study: Today Sammy asked the woman at the check-out in Trader Joe’s! “Do you have num num’s?” The woman looked at him and said, “Do I have what?” Sammy is not one to give up – he will keep asking until you answer the question! Even louder, “Do you have num num’s?” Now that we had everyone’s attention in Trader Joe’s – I leaned into her and tried to softly explain what he was talking about, but I she said, “What?” Okay, nice and loud I said, “He’s talking about your breasts. He wants to know if you have breasts.” Oh, she laughed and said she had never heard them called that before, so I explained why he calls them that and she laughed some more. She was amazing at how well she responded to the question. She told him that she did but her babies were all grown up and they don’t need her num num’s any more. The I almost passed out when I heard Sammy say, “Do you go potty?” I thought oh my god here we are in the store and now he’s going to start asking strangers if they have a penis or vagina or maybe even a hairy penis! I just wanted to run out as fast as I could! After the check-out lady told Sammy she does go potty, he spotted the hot dog buns and started asking questions about them – thank goodness!

I love that my son wants to know all the informaton there is to know in the universe – I just wish it didn’t have to be embarrassing. I am sure the “Why do you walk like that?” question will pop up again, but for now he seems content with the answer he got.