Conversations with a 5 year old

This summer, I was blown away with how 'grown up' Hannah became.  Her mannerisms and tone of voice were more adult like than I remembered.  It was only when we had the following conversations, that I realized just how 'intellectually' grown up she had become.

Conversation #1.

The Setting:  hiking in the woods on a beautiful summer afternoon.

Hannah:  "I wonder how this all started?"

Me:  "How what all started, honey?"

Hannah:  "You know, the trees, the sky, the Earth."

Me:  "Ohhhh."

Hannah:  "Like, who had the first baby?"

Me:  "Well, honey, there are lots of theories....."

Hannah:  "Theories?  You mean like the theories about dinosaurs?"

Me:  "Exactly!"

Hannah:  "Mom, did you know that turtles were alive when the dinosaurs lived?  They survived because the dinosaurs thought they were rocks!"  This is followed by a huge belly laugh, since that is probably the silliest thing, you know, that the dinosaurs didn't know they were turtles.

We did have a great conversation about how 'this all started'.  But it was awe inspiring watching her grasp such a philosophical thought.

Conversation #2.

The setting:  The beach, building sand castles and pools with water.  Parker is worried that we won't have enough water.  I assure him the ocean is large and we will have plenty of water.

Hannah:  "Mom?  Will the ocean ever run out?"

Me:  "Oh no, honey.  There's actually more ocean than there is land on Earth."

Hannah is quiet for a couple of minutes and then her thoughts are verbalized.

Hannah:  "So, what happens if there are too many people and we run out of land for everyone to live on?"

Me:  Completely shocked, I pick my jaw up from the sand and say "Yeah, it's a growing problem, actually."

WOW!  Aren't children just amazing?  It is a gift to be raising my two great kids.  And everyday I am grateful that I get to see the world through their eyes.  They are constantly teaching me things.  For example, these conversations?  A lesson, that Hannah is comprehending things I didn't think she was old enough to understand, let alone question and grasp.