Curious Seth

I thought we were past the "Why?" phase with Seth. Yesterday, he proved me wrong. At the end of the day, I was quite speechless, and I felt physically sore from all the interrogating I went through. I don't know what it was about yesterday, but his mind was exploding with curiosity. I visualized his brain developing like one of those nature shows where they show a flower blooming in quantum speed. It started at breakfast with conversations like this:

Seth: "Where do people come from?"
Me: (trying to avoid the 'where babies come from' talk) "God made the first people, Adam and Eve, out of dirt."
Seth: "Okay. After that, where did all the other people come from?"

And then, later, another Bible story example:
Seth: "Why are there two different Jesuses?" (you try pluralizing Jesus)
Me: "There aren't."
Seth: "Well, in that story there was Baby Jesus, and in this story there's the man, Jesus."

This sort of thing went on all day, with regular questions still in play. (i.e.,"What are you doing? Why? When are we going outside?")

My breaking point came at dinner. We ate at Torrero's, a Mexican restaurant in Cary where there is a live musician who plays traditional Mexican tunes like "La Cucaracha" as he roams around the dining area. We have eaten there once before, and it was a big hit with Seth who LOVES all things music. Last time, it served to keep him quiet while he ate because he was listening so intently. This time, not so much. The questions that I can remember: "Why does he like to sing?" "Is he singing in Spanish?" "What does the song mean?" "Why does he play next to tables that are empty?" "Is he going to sing over here?" "Is he done?" "Why does he play next to tables that are empty?" "Why doesn't he stand in front of the table when he sings to people?" "Why does he play next to tables that are empty?" Yes, he asked that one many, many times. I answered it mostly the same each time, but apparently my answer was not satisfactory, or he quit listening the moment he finished asking the question. After being asked again why the man was singing, I sent Seth to sit next to Shaun.

On the way home, we faced a detour as a portion of the road was being repaved, and things went like this:
Seth: "Why are all those trucks over there?"
Me: "They are fixing the road."
Seth: "Why?"
Me: "It needed to be repaved."
Seth: "What is 'repaved?'"
Me: "When they put new pavement down..."
Seth: "What is pavement?"
Me: "The stuff the road is made out of."
Seth: "How do they do that?"
Me: (tired) "I don't know. I don't work for the road crew. "
Seth: (a small pause to process that one) "Are they going to do this side too?"
Me: "Again, I have no idea."
Seth: "Why are they doing it over there?"
Me: "No more questions about the road."

All of this went on and on. I don't know what was going on with him. He always asks a lot of questions, but the amount yesterday was unreal. I answered all of them; however, many of them were met with impatience and brevity. After he was in bed, I had the same moment of guilt I have every night once things are peaceful. I reflect on my impatience with these beautiful little people God has given to us. It doesn't kill me to answer questions, after all. I thought about how wonderful it was that he can even form these questions and is unafraid to ask them. Seth cares so much about how people think, how things work, and what's happening around him. He is amazing, and I regret for his sake, once again, that he is the first. I know that I will be much more equipped to handle Brady's questions because of the intense training Seth has had me undergo. I had the thought during the quiet moments before bed that I don't ever want Seth to feel like he can't ask me anything. There will come a time when I won't always know what's flitting in and out of his mind, and the questions that may be rolling around in his brain will be the most important ones a person can ask in his life. I hope when that time comes that Seth will find me approachable, honest, and genuine with my responses. Until then, I know that I am only human, but I pray that God will give me the superhuman strength to answer everything from how eggs are scrambled to why the man at Torrero's likes to sing La Cucaracha standing next to empty tables.