What Henry Said...

Okay, before I forget...

The other day Henry, Maren and I were sitting at the kitchen table eating breakfast. It was quiet. Not awkward quiet, just everybody enjoying their cereal quiet. Henry breaks the silence with, "Mom, I think ninjas are stronger than pilgrims." I think the boy is on to something.

Last night at the school as we were leaving wrestling practice, we stopped to watch the swim meet that was going on through the glass in the hallway. (Side note: that high school is INSANE. It is what I imagine high schools in Beverly Hills look like sans the palm trees.) Anyway, Henry whispers, "Oh my gosh! Mom, they're wearing their underwear!" I told him they looked like underwear, but really they were swimsuits. Henry says, "No. That's underwear." (Henry thinks I'm an idiot.)

We watched for a little while longer and then as we went to leave I explained that swimmers wear tiny swimsuits that look like underwear because it makes them go faster. Henry was quiet for a minute. I could tell the wheels were turning. And then I could almost see the light bulb pop up over his head when he said very matter-of-factly and with compete certainty, "Mom, that's why I'm slow. If I swim in my underwear, I would be fast." The topic of swimming in one's underwear didn't come up again.