This really happened

We were driving around looking at Christmas lights in a very nice neighborhood. We drive up to a house covered in lights with a huge, impressive entry floodlighted from all sides.

Fran: It takes a ton of money to build a house like this.

(pause for dramatic effect)

Ryan (my 5 year old): I think it takes a ton of bricks.

I think all parents consider their children to be genius. BUT--is it funny just because I read too much into it? Ever seen the movie "Being There", where the retarded guy is walking around in a very expensive suit and just saying simple things. He looks very distinguished. People end up thinking he's brilliant, women end up trying to sleep with him, he goes on late-night talk shows, and even get's nominated for public office.

Here's another one:

Me: Ryan, I need you to pick up your playroom--it's a mess.

Ryan: But Dad, it's called a playroom. If it was supposed to be clean all the time, it would be a cleanroom.

Now, I don't know if Ryan really knows what a cleanroom is--he may, but it is still funny either way.

Okay, but there's more. I love U2 and was listening to a CD with Ryan in the car. Ryan asks: "Dad, what does it mean to be stuck in a moment and you can't get out of it?" (I SWEAR TO GOD this is word for word).

Me (to myself: Is this one of those things where he's just asking and if I burn too many neurons here maybe I won't have enough when it comes to teaching him really important things like never taking cash advances on your credit card, don't get the
"product protection" thing at Circuit City or fabric protection when you buy a new car?)

to Ryan: I think it can mean a couple of different things. To me, it's when something happens and you have a hard time moving on and trying something new.

Ryan: Dad, I think I'm stuck in a moment...(at this point he describes this complex situation that we glossed over when it came up 2 weeks ago--he didn't get an invitation to a very close friend's birthday party for some reason or another, and he was forced to kind of watch a bunch of other kids going to the party--I know, life sucks when you're 5--Am I wrong to just blow this off and say, "Okay, well, you never know what the motivation is here so just move on"...? Or be like Fran and get on the waiting list to buy a bazooka?)

After this conversation, I realized that I need to be a little more careful, not just explicitly what I say, but realize that this is a little person with a complex psyche.