Capone knows quite a bit about babies and body parts. We’ve read books and talked about the new baby. He’s gone to the doctor with us. He knows that the new baby will drink Mommy’s milk just like he did. He knows the correct names more most of his body parts. He will tell anyone who will listen about the Mommy Puzzle that shows the baby growing inside a woman’s body. He even knows that there are 2 ways to be born and that while we are hoping for a VBAC, I may have to have another c-section.
Given his understanding of the subject, I wasn’t worried at all that he would be one of those kids who thought that the stork delivered babies to families. I was wrong.
Fast forward to this morning. Our town recently passed a proposal to switch from recycling drop-offs to curbside recycling. We were very excited about this change, and as much as Capone loves taking the recycling to the drop-off which happens to be next to the fire station and a really cool park, he also really likes the idea of a recycling truck visiting our house along with the regular garbage truck and the landscape waste truck. Rakicy and I were talking about the recycling program this morning and Capone who is always listening, asked when it was coming. I said July.
He didn’t say anything else until we got in the car to go to daycare and the conversation went something like this.
Capone: “When the recycling truck brings my baby, where is my baby going to sit?”
Me: What do you mean? The baby won’t ride in the recycling truck. Remember Mommy will push the baby out.
Capone: Unless the baby has a really big head like me. And then my baby will get stuck and the recycling truck will get the baby and bring the baby home. In July. When we get the baby and the recycling truck.
Me: Silence
Capone: I really wish I could ride in the recycling truck.
Me: The recycling truck doesn’t deliver babies.
Capone: that’s right. Recycling trucks pick up stuff with their hydraulic arm (editor’s note: someone has read entirely too many books about contruction equipment and knows the technical terms for most parts of machines). Mommy is going to get the baby out in July and then the recycling truck is going to pick up my baby and put him/her in the truck.
Me: No, the recycling truck isn’t going to take the baby away. The recycling truck is going to just pick up our recycling. It’s just coming at the same time as the baby.
Capone: Oh, I thought the recycling truck was coming with my baby. I was wondering about that. How are you going to get the recycling truck out of your belly? I bet it’s going to get stuck.
I think we may need to take Capone to the next sonogram, just to reinforce that I am not in fact giving birth to a recycling truck and a baby in July. Also, this baby is going to have to find a new big brother present to bring Capone because that Green Toys Recycling Truck, I’d been thinking about might just require too much therapy to clear up.
