mammalia

On the way home from school, the kiddos and I happened into a car-ride conversation about mammals. I don't recall exactly how we got there, but we did. For 15 minutes, we brainstormed all the mammals we could think of: monkeys, horses, hippos, cats, dogs... Mrs. Itaya.

We wondered about pigs and discussed warm blood, cold blood, feathers and fur. We considered snakes, reptiles, birds and fish.

What if it's sunny outside and you are cold-blooded. What if it's snowing and you are warm-blooded?

"What if you are bald, are you still a mammal?" Maya asked.

If a man is bald, might he still have fur on his arms and under them? On his legs or his toes or his back, in his ears, on his face or elsewhere? She pondered this, then turned to Cole.

"Will you have a beard?" she asked. And together, the three of us shared a good laugh.

While driving 55 on 525, I turned to picture my sweet-faced, smooth skinned, dimpled little boy all huffy and gruff with facial hair. I'm not sure whether to chortle or to sob about the the idea of Cole shaving.