Proud of my Son

Today we went to homeschool group and then stopped at a forest preserve to take a short hike and visit the nature center. Kiddo wanted to make a craft, so the nature center people kindly told us to help ourselves to the supplies. We had noticed some taxidermied animals in the nature center, and Kiddo asked if they had been shot. I told him I didn't think so; the animals had likely been found dead from natural causes. But he was very adamant and concerned that nobody shoot animals in the forest preserve. So for his craft, he made a diamond-shaped sign with a picture of a gun with the red circle-slash over it, and the words NO SHOOTING written on. He got permission to tape it up in the window of the nature center.

As he was taping up his sign, he told the nature-center lady, "Nobody should shoot at the animals, because they are defenseless." He said it in such a cute, matter-of-fact way.

I love it that he cares so much for animals, and even bugs. This evening he made a temporary cage for a lady bug so that it would not fly up in the ceiling fan and get hurt. What a sweetheart. I have heard it said that the true character of a man shows in the way he treats animals. That says a lot for my son.

Where did my son learn to talk like this?

Wednesday in Service Learning Day here at St. Brigid's. We help out with the Main Strerrt program in our town. This week, the lady who is in charge of it took Kiddo with her to help sell some raffle tickets. Kiddo was a bit confused about the concept of a raffle. He wanted so hard to understand it.

Kiddo: How much is the raffle?
Me: Tickets cost $25 each.
Kiddo: But how much is the raffle?
Me: Twenty-five dollars. That's how much it costs to buy a ticket.
Kiddo: No, no, no. I'm not asking about the tickets, I'm asking about the actual price of the raffle, itself.

Where does such a little kid learn to use such grown-up words, in such long and complete sentences? Maybe he hangs out with me too much?