Conversation about the Future

(The following discussion occurred this evening, and I was typing as fast as I possibly could, which is pretty dang fast, so I got most of it word-for-word.)

"Mommy, when I'm an adult, I'm going to have a daughter."

"Oh, really?"

"Yeah. I'm going to have lots of kids. A daughter and a son. Guess what?"

"What?"

"They're going to live with you!"

(smothering a laugh) "Is that so? Where will you live?"

"Oh, I'll live with you, too. I'm gonna be kind to them. You and Daddy are going to be kind to them, too."

Jeff pipes in with "Tell Mommy what their names will be."

"Atomica. That's a boy's name. And Sassafras - that's the girl's name. When we live here, we're going to have a big family, and you will have three babies then! You can name their last names. You have to choose before they come. They will be upset if you don't."

"Why don't we make their last name McCain?"

"Oh, yeah. Good idea."

"What job are you going to have?"

"What job? Oh, I'm going to work Dad's job, too, okay? He makes pizza, so I'm going to do his job, too." (nodding vehemently)

"That's not his only job. He makes sick people feel better, too."

"Oh, yeah. I'll have to go to school, too, when I'm a grown-up so I can learn that."

"What kinds of things will you teach your kids?"

(pausing to think about it) "How to learn to color and write. I'm going to teach them to draw pictures, and uh, I'm going to teach them to be good friends - yeah, that, too!"

"Will you take them to church?"

"Yeah, I will."

"What if they misbehave?"

"If they misbehave, I'll put them in their beds and tell them to think about it and do what your father says. I'm going to be their father, and I'm going to be good. They won't get what they want always. Not everybody always gets what they want. I'll say no, but if I get more money, then they can get a toy - but it can't be expensive. It can be a little toy, though, okay?"

"Will you have a wife?"

"I will."

"Who will it be?"

"It will be... I suppose... the kid's mom."

(smothering a laugh... again) "That's true. Who do you think their mom will be?"

"The same name yours is, okay?"

"So you're going to marry somebody with my name?"

"Yeah. I will. And don't forget, you have to bring me those flowers before the wedding. They're for the wife, okay? Then I'm going to get the flowers for the wife, and you can help me. You know what? I think I want to have a different name, okay? Like, uh, Daddy? That would be better. When I'm a grown-up, that will be my new name. I'll still have my old name, too."

"What will be the best part about being grown-up?"

"Um, being a daddy. Yeah, that will be the best!"

(Jeff came back in the room about this time.)

"I'm going to be just like you, Daddy."

(Jeff melts.... completely)

"Dad, you can help me take control of the kids, you know? Yeah, you could. If they don't like the food that they eat, we're going to give them anyway, cause it's good food. That way they will grow legs and arms (giving thumbs up sign), and so they have to have healthy food. They have to eat their food right instead of slobbering all over the place - that way they'll have legs. You can help me control them."

*sigh* I love my little boy!