Conversations with a ten year old

Imagine my dismay this morning when I found myself taking a shower with a mosquito. Yes, a mosquito. Those little bloodsuckers are of the devil I tell ya. I currently have about fifteen bites on me which I was lamenting about getting while mowing the lawn this weekend. Now I'm thinking some of these bites came from inside my home and not while I was out under the pine trees in the front yard. Regardless of where they came from, I hate them! They itch and make me look like I've got some dreaded skin condition. Ugh!

Ironically Eddie and I just recently had a conversation about mosquito. He asked me if they were poisonous. I told him no but they could carry disease. "What kind of diseases?" he asks with a look of  concern. Drat! Things like this always slip out of my mouth before I remember I'm talking ... to a kid ... who's not mine ... who is known to take things to a level beyond dramatic. I must tread lightly here.

Well, there's malaria. It's not so common around here. There was a lot of it going around when they built the Panama Canal but we don't have to worry about it 'cause that was a long time ago and they've done a lot to prevent it. I should have known this reply wouldn't be sufficient. First question was, "what's a canal?" followed by "where's the Panama Canal? Don't they teach these kids anything in school anymore? So, we had a brief lesson in the purpose of a canal followed by a geography lesson (Panama is a country in Central America, not a city in Florida). Fortunately he was so wrapped up in the details of the the canal and what happened a million years ago he didn't ask if people still get malaria. I do however expect that question some time down the road. That's the thing about Eddie. He might not remember to bring his books home from school but by golly that kid never forgets a conversation and is prone to readdress said conversation when you least expect it.

He did ask what other diseases mosquitoes can give you. I told him, "West Nile, but again I don't think it's something you need to worry about."  Eddie: "Because people don't get it anymore?" Me: "Well, they can still get it but I haven't heard of it being much of a concern lately..." (more on this statement later). Fortunately we arrived at our destination and the conversation ended. For now anyway, but I'm sure it will come up again. He's starting a study of Ancient Civilizations in History class and I'm sure the topic will come up when they start the unit on Egypt. You know ... the ol' word association game ... Egypt - Nile River - West Nile - now, where did I hear that? Oh yeah, Miss Sherri was talking about West Nile mosquitoes killing people all over the world.

Yep, I'm 99% sure that's how it will play out.

So, we're good to go until then ... unless he listens to the news and hears like I did last night that we're actually having an epidemic that looks to be the worst we've seen yet. Yikes! Now I have something new to fret about. Excuse me while I google West Nile symptoms because I'm pretty sure I have a few of them.

 I sure wish this spider would do something about all the mosquitoes around here. All he's doing is hanging outside Andrew's bedroom window scratching to get in!