They Ask The Wrong Questions

The areas of my expertise are limited in their scope.

I can:

-teach children to read and to do algebra
-make good desserts
-save money at the grocery store
-get stains out pretty well

Unfortunately, my sons have other interests.  I remember when Braeden was five, he quizzed me about checks and balances.  He thirsted to understand politics.  He loves learning about the Constitution.  (I blame his dad.)  I know about checks and balances in our government but struggled to explain it all in five-year-old terms.

Awhile ago, after a conversation with Adam, Braeden wondered what I thought about the Constitutionality of The War Act.

It hadn't ever really crossed my mind.

Luckily, Braeden can read now and find his own answers.

Mark on the other hand, whose reading skills are maxed out with Morris the Moose, still questions me about things.

One day he wanted to know how a car worked.  "You turn the key and voila!" 

"No, really Mom."

I gave him a vague description of my sketchy understanding of pistons and spark plugs.  I don't think he was satisfied.

Yesterday we were driving and stopped at a light by the mill in Mill Creek.  Mark wanted to know about mills and how they work.  I explained that was just a decorative one but that they were used before electricity to do things like cut wood and grind grains.

He was intrigued.

"How?"

"Well...there was a...sort of big...stick (may or may not be the official term) that went in the middle of the wheel.  The water turned the wheel and the wheel turned the...stick.  Then the turning stick would make the machine work that cut the wood or ground the grain."

"How?"

No idea.  Next time I'll just hand him my cell phone and tell him to call my dad.  I didn't think of that.  Instead I suggested we turn on the radio. 

Why can't my boys just ask about a good brownie recipe?

I need some credibility here.