A Doctor or a Dinosaur

Michael and I watched this comedian video about a year ago. Our favorite part was one comedian talking about a conversation with his very young son. The son says, "Daddy, I want to be a doctor when I grow up..." At this point the comedian speaks of the pride welling up inside him... the feeling that he did something right and has such a remarkable son. And among the midst of the proud thoughts of the father the son completes his thought and says, "or a dinosaur...."  This is just so funny to me. As a parent, it is just so easy to be overwhelmed with pride for your children and the magnificant things they do and say and you forget the eye they see the world through. After laughing so hard at this comedian that line "a doctor....or a dinosaur" has become a phrase we drop often when one of our kids does something similarly.
One of those moments happened today. I was walking the kids around the park. Christian was sleeping and Elle and I were carrying on this highly sofisticated conversation. She was asking questions about why some people are black and some are white. I was explaining that people from different places have different colored skin... I even told her the story in the bible where God scatters the people and confuses their languages... In my head I am just thinking what an adult conversation this is and I'm impressed with how well Elle is following along. Elle begins asking quesitons, "Where are the black people from?" I say "Africa". "Where are the white people from?" I say, "Europe". And then Elle asks, "And where are the Cougars from?" (speaking of the large cat, not the football team). I am shaken back to the reality, that I am in fact having a conversation with a 4 year old, not an adult. =)