Big Meanies!

Lately, Fletcher has been fascinated with military stuff. Kevin let him watch something on PBS about War Planes. He told me the other day that he thinks he might grow up to be in the military to go get the bad guys. (He also added that six years later he would go find a wife. While that has nothing to do with this story, I am impressed that he is planning ahead.)

He remembers from previous conversations that his PawPaw served in the Air Force and his Papa Charlie was in the Army. We also talked about Mr. Steve who was in the Marines and the other division of military service called the Navy. Kevin started telling him about the Navy Seals - how they were an elite group of the best, strongest, fastest, toughest men and how they had to go through intense training to do what they do.

Fast forward about two weeks. We are sitting at the breakfast table and Fletcher says out of the blue, "Mom, I think dolphins are probably pretty mean."

I seize this as a teachable moment and launch into this mini lecture to correct his thinking. I immediately say, "Oh no, honey, dolphins aren't mean. They are very gentle creatures." I tell him how smart dolphins are and how they can do tricks and how there's a place where you can swim with dolphins. I remind him of the dolphins we saw at Sea World a few years ago.

He appears to be listening intently and taking it all in.

After I finish, he says, "No, Mom. I'm talking about those Navy Dolphins."

Oops. Right concept. Wrong aquatic mammal.

Mom: Ooooohhhhh. I think you mean Navy Seals. Not Navy Dolphins.

Fletcher: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Navy Seals. Those really tough guys Dad was talking about.

Mom: Well, I don't think they are mean. But I wouldn't necessarily walk up to one and call him a dolphin...