Questions, Question, Questions.

A while back, when our Preston was probably only 6 months old or so, I remember hearing my friend Grace give a talk in church where she had mentioned her youngest going through a total "question phase".  She said that she started to tune a lot of it out and just give random answers.

One day, her son asked her "Mommy, why are there so many bunnies?" and she just answered, "I don't know, just because."  At the time, their uncle was visiting and he came over and said, "Well, the reason that there are so many bunnies is because they reproduce very often and they are pretty low on the food chain and therefore they supply themselves as food to a lot of the bigger animals..." and yadda yadda yadda.  I remember Grace saying that she felt bad that she didn't stop and take more time to answer and explain in detail all the answers to her little son's questions, and she was grateful to Uncle "Bob" that day who did.

I thought it was such a cute little story, and it always stuck in my head.  And I also thought that when Preston was old enough one day to start asking why the sky is blue, why the grass is green, or why there are so many bunnies - I would be sure to take the time to answer him.

Well folks, that day has come.

I can tell you that even though I try really hard to always answer Preston's questions and explain things the best that I can (I don't baby things down for him too much, but just tell him the real answers in a simple way), today I just wanted. Them. To. Stop.

I took the boys on a double-stroller walk this morning. Our route usually takes us a little over an hour, and since today was the first day all week where it wasn't raining, I was really excited to take advantage of it and go for a walk.  My clever plan was that Taylor would fall asleep in the stroller and take his morning nap, and Preston would just play with his toys so that I could enjoy the outdoors and have some time to breath some fresh air and clear my head.

However, that did not happen.

Preston talked the entire time. I'm not exaggerating.  It went something like this, and this was after he'd already been talking to about 25 minutes....

"Momma, what that sign say?" 

"It says left turn ahead"


"Momma, what THAT sign say?"

"Speed limit 25."

"What THAT sign say?"

"Slow down, curve ahead."

Walk a little more, as Preston is jabbering about who knows what.

"Where are the dogs?" (we passed a house where there are usually dogs out, and today they were not).

"I don't know."

"Where those dogs are, Momma?"

"I don't know.  Inside their house."

We pass a dirt road.

"What that road is?"

"A dirt road."

"Why it all dirty, Momma?"

"Because it's made of dirt."

Walk another few feet.

"Where the blueberries go momma?" (referring to the wild blackberries)

"They're all gone."

"Who ate them momma?"

"Probably the birds and the animals."

Walk some more.  A car passes us.


"What that car is?"

"A red car."

"No it's a STINKY car!"

"Oh okay, a stinky car."


"Where's he going?"

"I don't know."


"What's he doing Momma?"

"Probably going to his house."

At this point, I just want him to stop talking so I can enjoy some peace and quiet for 2 minutes.

"Preston, you sure talk a lot."

"I HAVE to talk!"

"You know, you don't always have to talk. You can be quiet too."

"No, I HAVE to talk!"


We walk some more.

"Momma there's Herbie!!"

"Oh yes, there he is." (referring to a parked blue VW bug)

"What's he doing?"

"He's sleeping."

"He's not sleeping."

"Oh okay then why did you ask me."


"He's sitting in da grass."

We walk some more.  We pass an old tractor that looks like "Frank" in the movie Cars.

"Momma, what's Frank doing?"

At this point, I try ignoring him, hoping that he would stop asking questions. But it doesn't work, instead he asked me what Frank was doing 9 more times. I counted.

We pass a house with a big boat parked out front.

"Momma what's that boat doing?!!"

"I don't know. Sitting.  Okay guess what - it's time to be quiet because Momma wants to think."

"What you want to think about Momma?"


I laughed out loud.  And then I gave up and just accepted that he wasn't going to stop. He talked nonstop for the rest of our walk all the way home, which was 65 minutes long. Hopefully I got all his questions answered.