Innocence

With all that has been going on lately it's comforting to get a glimpse into my kids' minds and just how innocent they still are.

Without really meaning to hide it from them, we managed to get away with not telling them about the bombings at the Boston Marathon or the manhunt that ensued 4 days later.  If they had gotten wind of it and asked we would have given them some basic answers, but I was thankful that they remained blissfully unaware.

Lately, Quynh is into creating art, playing babies, and watching My Little Pony.  She's not yet four so her innocence seems like a no-brainer.  But I was still pleased to hear her announce the other day that, "Dinosaurs, zombies, vampires, and bad guys are all extinct!"

Her older, wiser, more cynical brother immediately corrected her, much to my dismay.  Yet this boy who claims to be only interested bad, destructive, violent things (yet who also loves to watch My Little Pony) is not as worldly as he likes to think.  Just after the recent events in Boston, when everyone was still on edge, he and I were evacuated from the local rinky-dink mall by the police.  Word among the adults was that someone had reported a "suspicious vehicle" in the parking lot near the building.

Tai had a million questions for me as I hurried him out of there, explaining that the, "whole mall was closing."  Our conversation went something like this:

Tai: But why do we have to leave?
Me: Because the whole mall is closing. right. now.
Tai:  Wow, I have never been here before when the whole mall closed.  Why is it closing?
Me: Because there is something in the parking lot that might be dangerous.
Tai:   Oooooh!  Can we go see it?
Me: No, the police officers will go take care of it.  And they want us to leave to make sure we are safe.
Tai:  Awwww, I wish I was a police officer so I could go see it.  Hey, can we stop by Target?
Me: No, the whole mall is closing.
Tai:  What do you think would be so dangerous?  Oh, I know!  Maybe a HUGE daddy-long-legs?
Me:  Maybe  :)

Someday a giant spider will not be the first thing he thinks of when the police report "something dangerous" in the area.  But I hope that day is far, far off in the future.