A conversation with Benson

Benson usually spends most of his time playing with the other kids but occasionally he just hovers around me, whatever I'm doing. Last night was one of those nights. I was reading a book so most of the time he had to repeat himself three times before I got what he was saying. He can't say his s's or r's. I wish I could capture the way he just keeps bouncing all around me asking random questions. Try to imagine his little scratchy voice...

Benson: (hanging upside down on the couch) Why do we eat beeth?

Me: (said without looking up) We need bees to make the flowers pretty.

Benson: long pause--(dancing around on the arm of my chair)--Mom, why do we eat beeth? (said in the exact same tone of voice as before.)

Me: oh, Ben we don't eat bees we just eat their honey.

Benson: (now trying to lift the recliner legs up) Oh, (pause) why don't we eat beeth? (again--same tone of voice).

Me: (finally looking up to make eye contact) Do you think a bee would taste good?

Benson: No way! Authtin's scared of beeth! (He was stung 6 times last summer--can't blame the kid!) long pause--ummm Mom, why do we eat beeth.

Me: Listen Benny, we don't eat bees or any kind of bugs, that would be yucky. We just eat the honey that bees make.

Benson: Oh yeah, honey'th good. (more dancing around the chair) And mom remember, ramen, pancaketh and chocolate chip cookieth. That's what I love. When will you make me some cookieth?