Mrs. Google

I feel like a dictionary/search engine/answering machine lately. My boys happen to be particularly curious. I field questions all day on all subjects and have to come up with some pretty creative answers at times, which may or may not be true! But I am finding this harder and harder to do as my oldest is now in first grade and is an avid reader. If he is not happy with my answer he simply looks it up in a book or asks his all-knowing teacher. So in order to be right once in awhile I have found myself "googling" questions to find correct answers. Apparently if it is on the Internet it is true, according to Connor.

Questions I have fielded lately include:

• What is a narwhal? Do they really have horns? Are they real? Can I catch one?
• What is the biggest living animal on earth? Is it the blue whale? Is that a mammal or fish?
• How do you know when you are going to have a baby? How do you know when it is ready to come out? How does the baby know how to eat if it doesn't understand English?
• Why was there a cross on the Kirtland temple but Angel Moroni on every other one?
• When do I have to get married? Who am I supposed to marry?

Some tend to be easier to answer, no google search needed:

• Can I have a snack? (immediately following a meal)
• Can I play with play doh? (not a good request when your mom is a clean freak)
• Can I have a friend over to play? (hmmm...just what I need right now, more kids)
• Can we watch a movie with popcorn? (see above answer)
• Can you buy me something? (did you bring YOUR money?)

This last set is usually very easy to respond to: NO! Not right now. But for some reason this answer is not one they ever want to hear and have the hardest time understanding. Why can they understand the mysteries of heaven and earth, but not the most simple answer of all? Apparently I need to start saying YES a little more often and see if that gives me better results.