blog.jameshom.com

But....why, Daddy?

So my kid is well into the "...but why?" stage, asking for more details with ever lame answer I serve up. Of course, as an engineer, I do tell her how the clock works when she asks about the time ("...well honey, the case of the clock is injection molded and...").

But no one could do this as well as Calvin's dad. And he's a lawyer. Some of my favorites:

Q. Why does the sky turn red as the sun sets?
A. That's all the oxygen in the atmosphere catching fire.

Q. Where does the sun go when it sets?
A. The sun sets in the west. In Arizona actually, near Flagstaff. That's why the rocks there are so red.

Q. Don't the people get burned up?
A. No, the sun goes out as it sets. That's why it's dark at night.

Q. Doesn't the sun crush the whole state as it lands?
A. Ha ha, of course not. Hold a quarter up. See, the sun's just about the same size.

Q. I thought I read that the sun was really big.
A. You can't believe everything you read, I'm afraid.

Tip o' the hat to Elise for posting these.