'Satiable Curtiosity

http://4umi.com/kipling/justso/elephant1.jpg

As you may recall from my first post on this blog, I have given all my children nicknames for privacy purposes. Upon further thought, rather than naming Bob, Bob, I should have called him "Elephant's Child" on account of his insatiable curiosity. The other name I could have used is "Curious George" and, yes, we do call him George every once in a while.

I have never heard a 5 year old ask so many questions.

Perfect strangers at the door, sidewalk, store as well as family members are often taken aback at being accosted by a small boy firing questions at them with no end in sight.

The past few weeks have given Bob a big chance to ask his fill of questions.

Our bathroom is being renovated. The guys coming in and out of the house doing their work seem to enjoy Bob, who, perched on a chair right by the bathroom, watches and asks questions, and asks, and asks, and asks....

B: What are you doing?
W: Renovating your bathroom.
B: Why?
W: Because.
B: What are you holding?
W: A hammer.
B: Why?
W: So we can take apart this counter.
B: Are you going to crack it?
W: No, we are trying to keep it in one piece.
B: (to worker 2) What do you have?
W2: A grinder.
B: I have a grinder too.
W2: Great! We just might need it.
B: No, you can't use it. It has no batteries. What are you doing?...........

Yesterday:

B: What are you doing?
W: Laying tiles.
B: Why are you taking that outside? (pointing to a tile)
W: To cut it.
B: What do you use to cut it?
W: A grinder.
(Worker coming in with cut tile)
B: Where did you cut it?
W: Here
B: Why did you cut it?
W: So it will fit.

And so it goes on. If the workers don't answer because they are too busy, Bob doesn't mind. He sits there, watching, biding his time until the guys have a minute to answer yet one more question.

Thankfully, no one has yet spanked him for his 'satiable curtiosity as was the case with Elephant's Child.

As an aside, people often think Bob is older than 5. His knowledge of things surprises them. His diverse vocabulary impresses them. Perhaps one maxim of education should be, "Ask questions; you'll learn a lot that way".

As Bob has the physical limitations that spina bifida imposes on him, he definitely makes up for it with his voluble nature.