The circulatory system: demystified, but still kinda gross.

I love driving the car when Eliot is with me. If he doesn't fall asleep, leaving me precious time alone with my thoughts and my choice of music, then he's always asking wild questions and leading us into the most interesting and memorable conversations. I always know he's deep in thought when he gets quiet for a few moments, and then hesitatingly asks, "Mommy?"

What comes next is bound to be thought-provoking, or hilarious, or both. Past favorites include "Where do hotdogs live?" and "Do babies like to wrestle?"

Yesterday evening, on the way home from visiting family, Eliot asks, "Mommy...me and you have blood, but do ALL people have blood?"

Me: "Yes, all people have blood."

Eliot: "Well...what IS blood?"

Me: "It's a red liquid inside your body that takes food and water and air to all the parts of your body."

Eliot: "Like my feet?"

Me: "Yep. Like your feet and your toes and the tips of your fingers and everywhere."

Eliot: "Huhn."

*Quiet, thoughtful pause*

Eliot: "Well, how does that blood go around?"

Me: "That's what your heart is for. It pumps the blood all around."

Eliot: "Oh. Well. That sure is weird."

Me: "Yeah, kinda weird."

Eliot: "So...if I eat a really big ham swamich (sandwich), it will shoot down my leg?"

Me: "Um...not exactly."

Eliot: "What if it shoots down my leg and out my leg and lands on my head?! Then I will have cheese on my face! That will be funny! That will be gross and funny!"

Me: "Well...that will be something, anyway."

Eliot: "Mommy?"

Me: "Yeah, bud?"

Eliot: "You know when you get a ouchie and blood spills out? I don't like that."

Me: "Yeah. I'm not a big fan of that either."

Eliot: "Okay,  let's not talk about blood spilling out."

Me: "Agreed."