17 June 2010

A conversation between M- and D-: You gotta watch out for those zombie ground squirrels

The following is part of a Monty-Python-esque conversation my 6-year-old son D- and 3-year-old daughter M- had today with their noses pressed against the patio doors, watching the frolicking of the new litter born to our thirteen-lined ground squirrel friends "Nibble Purple" and "Sunflower Stripehead".*
(Photo courtesy of Wikipedia)

Unfortunately, I made the mistake of asking my wife aloud if a little thing near them in the grass was a dead sibling. The flies shortly confirmed this suspicion, and the kids then became intensely focused on this one instead of all the unbearably cute and very alive ones.

M- (trying desperately to find it): Is that the dead one?

D- (patiently): No, it's the one that's not moving.

M-: Is that one it? ...No, it's moving. ...Is that one it? No, it's moving, too.

D- (authoritatively): All the ones that are moving are dead.

M- (buying it, but just trying to make sure she has it straight): All the ones that are moving are dead?

D- (as if she misheard him): No, all the ones that are moving are NOT dead-- they're alive. All the ones that are NOT moving are dead.

M-: Oh.


* Guess who named them.
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8 comments:

  1. Deb6/17/10, 11:49 PM

    I'd make sure that dead one is still there in the morning. I've seen the chipmunks chew through plastic garbage cans in these parts. I don't want to think about what a zombie chipmunk is capable of doing.

    I dig your son's attempt at using authority to cover his error. My husband still does that.

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  2. Father Knows (Travis) Best6/18/10, 12:18 AM

    If you convince yourself something is true, then it is.

    ReplyDelete
  3. unmitigated me6/18/10, 6:18 AM

    I'm so proud that you know the difference between chipmunks and 13 line ground squirrels!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Mary6/21/10, 3:49 PM

    Wow, that really clears it up.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Irrational Dad6/21/10, 7:37 PM

    WHAT is your favorite color?

    ReplyDelete
  6. Dawn6/24/10, 9:02 PM

    yep... clear as mud.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Jacobus Gideon Hanekom6/25/10, 5:26 AM

    This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Rolly6/26/10, 4:28 AM

    This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete

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