Rainbows and echoes

Jason: Mommy, can someone go right up to a rainbow and punch it, and break it? I want to know if a bad guy can get in a spaceship and do that.
Me: No, a rainbow can't be broken.
Jason: Good, because I love rainbows.

Sydney: What is an echo? I think I know why I am holding old doggie when I go to sleep but not when I wake up. Maybe when I am fast asleep I don't know what I am doing and I drop her.

Magic and sea animals

Jason: Is magic real? I think it is because the magician today used words like "Hocus Pocus" and then things happened. Like he held those things up to a flame and they turned into quarters. Nad things disappeared in mid air. How did he do that? It was so cool.

Sydney: Do sea animals wear goggles? I think they have to because the sea water would bother their eyes and turn them all red.

Speaking, royalty and Native Americas

Sydney: How do people learn to talk? How do they learn to make sounds that mean something?

Jason: Are kings and queens real, or are they pretend? When did the first Indian die - I am talking about the Indians with boats and bow and arrows? Where do Indians live in America?

Gun powder and flowers

Jason: What is gun powder, and why do they burn a stick before shooting a cannon? In real life do people still use axes? Are they weapons or tools?

Sydney: How do flower seeds come? Were there flowers before people?
Me: Yes, there were flowers before people during the time of the dinosaurs, and even earlier.
Sydney: But how do people know there were dinosaurs, if they weren't there to see them?

Old-fashioned times and bathing suits

Jason: Why are things from old-fashioned times made different - like old-fashioned cars, old-fashioned tow-trucks, old-fashioned helicopters and old-fashioned telephones? They look different.

Sydney: Why does Savannah still have my bathing suit? Will I get it back tomorrow? Will it be warm again tomorrow? I think it will be warm for all the days now that it is summer.

Planets galore

Jason: Who are the scientists who make planets?
Me: Scientists don't make planets, God does. But I think you are talking about astronomers.
Jason: But why can't people make more planets? Why haven't astronomers figured that out yet? When I grow up, my scientists are going to help me figure out how to make another planet. We are going to put it closest to the sun. Can you imagine how hot it would be? And I think it would always be summer there. If we made that new planet, then Pluto would be the 10th planet, but nevermind, because Pluto isn't really a planet anymore.

Sydney: Before people came, was the Earth so beautiful? But if there were none people, then it couldn't really exist. But if there were just one or two people, like us, then we could see the beautiful view and it wouldn't be too crowded.

Comets and Santa

Jason: If I see a comet go by, I will make a wish that I never see any black widows or tarantulas or other spiders. Are there hundreds of other universes out there? Are there many black holes, and do black holes suck down parts of universes? I think we will go on a field trip in camp to see a physicist.

Sydney: How does it get warmer and warmer in the summer? Is Santa Claus real? Because I saw a picture of him with Peanut and Pugsley.

[Note: Jason and Sydney just started at an art camp today, which they loved. Also, Peanut and Puglsey are the dogs that belong to their Aunt Erin and Aunt Dana]

Laughing and fishing

Jason: What makes people laugh and smile?
Me: Different people think different things are funny. Whatever someone thinks is funny is what makes someone laugh or smile.
Jason: No, but something has to happen in their body to make them laugh or smile -- what is it??!!

Sydney: What are we going to do at the fishing derby tomorrow?
Me: We are going to catch fish, build a campfire, and cook them.
Sydney (starting to cry): But that is going to hurt the fish, and I don't want to hurt them. I want to be a good girl and be nice. I don't even like to hurt bugs. I will go fishing, but I am not going to hurt them or eat them.

Boxing and burning

Jason: Why do people do boxing?
Me: It's a kind of a sport, like basketball or soccer.
Jason: But they are just hitting each other and hurting each other - I don't like that.
Me: OK
Jason (after a brief pause): Mommy, I am going to be a boxer when I grow up. I am going to first lift weights -- one hundred billion pounds.

Sydney: How does fire come? We don't want the house to burn down while we are in it.

Police and park playing

Jason: What makes fire? Why are there police who take people to jail? I know - it's because people who steal need to be put away from everyone else because they might steal things again.

Sydney: When I was playing with Parker today at the park, he said he didn't want to play with me, but he kept playing with me. That was really weird. Why did he do that?

We are all on the same page

Jason: What does "We are all on the same page" mean? Why do armies have to test bombs underwater and on Earth?

Sydney: Are they still looking for that little boy, Kyron Horman? Are they really looking everywhere, like in people's houses?

Time machines and a missing boy

Jason: Do time machines really exist? They can take you back to the old times. You hold onto a purple thing, and then you go back to what you did a long time ago. I think time machines can go back to the future too.

Sydney: Mommy, why is that little boy lost? I think the wrong person picked him up from school, but now maybe they brought him back and his mom went back to school and got him. I am really sad that he is lost. What was his name?
Me: Kyron Horman
[Kyron is the 7-year-old boy who vanished from his school -- Skyline Elementary -- in Portland, Oregon on June 4. Roughly 300 trained rescuers are looking for him.]

Bugs and fireworks

Jason: Why is there bug spray? It hurts the bugs, and they can't go back to their families. Their families will miss them - I want to be nice to bugs. But I don't want to go in the jungle because I don't like tarantulas. They might get me.

Sydney: Is it June? Is July when we will have the fireworks? I can't wait to stay up late and see the fireworks. But are they very loud? Will I have to cover my ears? But some guys don't cover their ears, right?

Air and memory

Jason: How does air get trapped your belly? It makes you have tushy burps, right? Why does God talk to people through burning bushes or burning trees? Did Moses have to call the fire department?

Sydney: Can you help me remember what RIO back in Maryland looks like?

Monkeys, anger and food

Jason: Why do monkeys love bananas? Why do pirates have swords? Why do people get angry?

Sydney: Why are so many foods healthy and yummy? Why is the sun so bright?

Indians, babies and centipedes

Jason: Why did Indians have to hunt and kill animals for their food?

Sydney: Why do babies need cribs? If a centipede bites you, will you die?

Rocks, gas and streams

Jason: Why is the universe rocky and gassy? Why do people have to paint old-fashioned cars?

Sydney: Why can't people drink out of streams?

Space and flower petals

Jason: Why did one of the two Mars rovers die? What are all of the planets made of? Why is the sun on fire? Are all of the other stars the same as the sun?

Sydney: Why do petals fall off of flowers on trees? That makes me sad, because flowers are my favorite spring-time thing.

Jail and grandmothers

Jason: If a kid punches their friend down on the floor, will they go to jail forever? If you eat too much spinach, what happens to your heart? What does protein look like?

Sydney: When I am ten years old, will you be a grandma? How does somebody get to be an old lady?

X-Rays and kindergarten

Jason: What are X-Rays again - the ones that come from black holes?

Sydney: Why does kindergarten take so long to finish? What do really big kids -- like the ones in 6 and 7 grade -- do at school?

Horses and tiredness

Jason: How do horses understand when somebody says: "Giddyup"? Do horses understand "trailer", "girafee", or "dog"? How about "monkey"?

Sydney: I don't have any questions - I just need to go to sleep now. I really had fun swimming with you today!

Jupiter, storms and smiles

Jason: Why does Jupiter have a storm on it that just stays there and never goes away? I like that because I like lightening.

Sydney: I am too tired to have any questions. I love you infinity, and I really love your smiles.