What Species?

Aaron was full of energy yesterday when he returned from his group.  "Mom!  Paradigm bought us pizza while we were at the bowling alley!" 

That's great, Aaron!  Did you eat some?  "Yeah, I ate some!"

So I guess you didn't spend any money, then?  "No, I spent my money on some chicken strips!"

You ate chicken strips AND pizza?   He confirmed that he had.  Wow!

Therefore, I assumed that he wasn't hungry and so didn't call him down for supper.  He has a sense, though, about when Gary and I just sit down to eat............because there he came, clomping down the stairs to join us.  "Aaron, aren't you stuffed from pizza AND chicken strips?  I didn't think you'd want to eat."

But noooooo.............he wanted to sit with us...............not to eat so much as to talk.  The eating was a sideline, but while he's there he may as well, right?

So he grabbed a bowl for his salad and another bowl for his soup and several utensils because he can't mix and match those.  And several napkins...........one will never do.

He wanted to tell us about his day - other than pizza AND chicken strips at the bowling alley.  He had news about his friend.  "Hey, ______'s mom brought muffins to Paradigm today!"

Really?  What kind of muffins were they?   "I don't know."

Well, did you eat one?  "No, but they had chocolate swirly stuff on top.  And those sprinkle things."

They must have been cupcakes with chocolate icing.  "Yeah, that's what they were!" 

So was it _____'s birthday?  "I don't know."    Did they sing Happy Birthday?    "I don't know."

This coming from the young man who can hear Gary and I having a conversation from two floors above, or who can spy a cigarette butt from across the Wal-Mart parking lot...............so he can run and try to pick it up, just to hear me tell him to stop!

Anyway, Aaron didn't seem to know much about why there were cupcakes - or muffins - or whatever.  But what he did find out and wanted to tell us was:

"________ said that she was born in the jungle!!"

Yes, Aaron.  ________'s mother told me that she was born there.

"I bet she's African!!!"     (Check out my blog - Where is He From? - to better understand)

No, Aaron, ________ is not African.  She's from South America.  Her mother went down and adopted her soon after she was born. 

And then the question of the evening, as Aaron paused for thought.  "So what is her species?"

Gary and I were speechless for a second, long enough for Aaron to answer his own question.  "I bet she's jungle people!!"

Oh good grief, Aaron!  You've been reading too many science books or watching too many Sharktopus-type movies!    ___________ is a human being!!!!!

And of course, he knows that.  He gets his terms all mixed up but sometimes it sounds pretty awful, you know?  He's clueless as he goes on merrily talking about whether they swing on vines there in the jungle, etc.  He thought that this jungle story was extremely fascinating and put his friend in a whole different light. 

I just hope that whatever he says from this point on isn't offensive, because he sure can be just that without even knowing it.  Maybe today there will be two more food choices to occupy his mind instead of jungle stories!