There is something in the way I am raising my boys that is beginning to concern me. Somehow, I am creating a breeding ground for deep thoughts about cannibalism. If you have been a long time reader of theMangoTimes, you know that my first round of raising boys created this previous discussion (yes, go read it and come back).

That was ten years ago. Now, with my second set of Mangoboys, it seems like we are treading again on familiar territory. I snapped this photo to remember the setting for my recent discussion with Christian (Mangoboy #5). Yes, this is the same boy from the Real Calvin Podcast.

Christian: "Hey Dad, our brains are pretty cool."
Me: "Yes, I agree. We have pretty cool brains."
Christian: "Did you know that if you tried to eat your own finger, your brain will stop you from eating yourself."
Me: "That seems like a VERY cool function of our brains."
Christian: "Yeah, no matter how much you want to do it...your brain won't let you."
Me: "Our brains are smart that way."

(A few seconds pass and then I hear the following from the back seat).

Christian: "Eat your thumb...Eat your thumb...Eat your thumb."

(I didn't have to look back, I knew exactly what was going on)

Christian: "Yup. No matter how hard I try, my brain won't let me eat my thumb. That's cool."

I love my boys. In all of their creativity, energy and challenges, they just make my life better.

Quietly making noise,
Fletch