From sawmills to incest...

When you tune out the radio and tune in to your children, the drive to an out-of-town soccer tournament can actually be quite interesting...  

You know those puzzles that say "change one letter at a time to go from shrimp to pooper in five moves" --- I dare you to solve that, by the way, it just came from the top of my head. 
,.
Well, here's our version"

Go from sawmill to incest in five minutes.

Give up?  It's really quite easy.

Alex - Mama, what's that building?

Me  (shutting of the music so I can hear) - Oh, that's Plateau, a sawmill.

Alex - Like where Grandpa worked?

Me - Yes, exactly.  My Dad worked at a sawmill.

Kirstin - Where did Daddy's Dad work?

Me -  He was a teacher.  (And anticipating the next two questions...).  Daddy's Mom was a teacher, too.  My Mom used to be a teacher but she quit to stay home and take care of her children.

Kirstin - Were you the only one she took care of?

Me - No, I have two brothers, remember?

Kirstin - Oh yeah, Uncle Eric and Uncle Vince.

Me - No, Uncle Eric and Uncle Nathan.  Uncle Vince is actually my brother in law.

Kirstin - What's a brother in law?

Me - Well, that means that he is Uncle Eric's boyfriend.  They live together.  Like Aunty Janis is our sister in law because she married Uncle Matt.

Kirstin - Oh.  Are Uncle Eric and Uncle Vince married.

Me - No, but they want to spend the rest of their lives together. It's like they're married. 

Kirstin - Mostly girls have boyfriends, right?

Me - Most of the time, but sometimes boys can have boyfriends.

Alex - And girls can have girlfriends, right?

Me - Yup!

Kirstin - Can I marry my brothers?

Me - No.  No, you cannot marry your brothers.

Kirstin - Why not?

Me - Umm... well, you just can't.

Alex - Is it illegal?

Me - Yes, it's definitely illegal.  People in the same family cannot marry each other.

Kirstin - Why not?

Me - Umm, well, I guess it's because if you have children they'd have birth defects.

Alex - Because the mom and the dad are the same?  (Smart kid)

Me - Yes.

Kirstin - What's a birth defect?

Me - They'd be unhealthy, I suppose.

Kirstin - Oh... why?

Me - I have no idea! Besides, you don't know how to play banjo.

Kirstin - Oh, okay.

And that's how we ended up talking about incest on our way to soccer.  I have learned that sometimes, it's okay to say "I don't know" to your children.  Other times it's okay to run with it and see where it leads.

I love my inquisitive kids.  They're going to go places, I tell you... as long as I don't have to walk more than one of them down the aisle at the same time...