Geography Blues

"I am the happiest boy in the whole wide -- in China," Miles told me last night before he fell asleep. He was gazing lovingly at his brand new Dinoco Blue tractor trailer toy. He earned the truck for being a great sharer of toys this month.

"China," my four-year-old tried to educate me, "is where dinosaurs and Indians live."

Before I had a chance to ask where he was getting his information, he added, "That's where my Mommy died."

"Which Mommy is that?" I asked without alarm. Miles gives daily reports on the ongoings of his other mommies, daddies, pappas and pets. For instance, according to Miles, he has several pappas who live and work in a pie store located somewhere off I-95 and who keep foxes for pets.

"My other Mommy Teresa," he continued, incorporating my name into his story, "Her dies and lives in China. Her has blue hair and blue eyebrows and blue legs and arms and is very pretty." Miles raises his eyebrows and nods absently four times when he delivers information of this nature. When he sees my face twist to hide my grin, he adds solemnly, "It's truef."