What else?

My second post, oh, this is fun! Are you having fun yet?

Claudia has picked up a new phrase, "What else?" I think that this may be a more mature version of her previous stage of asking "why?" I never thought that I would yearn for the days of "why" but, that might be the case.

Here's why:

In my experience, I have found that the "why" questions lead me down a path--at times circuitous--but, at least, a foreseeable path. Why is normally always answered with a "because" so, all you have to do is come up with the answer. Generally the questions are fairly common with well-known, predictable answers. With the "what else" there is the pressure of coming up with new material.

To illustrate my point:

A typical "why" exchange:

Me: Claudia, you need to eat something, anything!

Claudia: Why?

Me: Because if you don't you will wilt away.

Claudia: Why?

Me: Because all people need to eat food.

So on and so forth.

A true life "What else?" example:

While driving in the car on the way home from Grandpa's 60th birthday party:

Claudia: Sing abc's.

Scott & I: Ok. (We proceed to sing the song.)

After the end of the song

Claudia: What else?

Scott and I sang "Happy Birthday," "Itsy Bitsy Spider," "Row, Row, Row Your Boat," "You Are My Sunshine," etc., etc., etc. Every time after we finished, she followed it with "What else?" Scott and I started to run out of songs to sing. Claudia then started to yell, "What else, What else, What else!!!!" I literally became panicked! Thank God by that time we pulled up to the house or I was prepared to break into "Paul Revere" by the Beastie Boys (sing along with me now: "Looking for a girl, I ran into a guy. His name is M.C.A., I said 'Howdy,' he said 'Hi....'")

Of course, the "whys" will sometimes make you wonder if you child is mature enough for particular answers.

Again while driving in the car

Claudia: Yook mama! A boy!

Me: Yes, that is a boy.

Claudia: Why?

Me: (internal dialogue: Do I answer with God? Biology? What?!?)