A Conversation With West That I Don't Want To Forget

When I was taking West to school today, I said, "Hey, let's talk! I miss you."

He asked, "What should we talk about?"

I said, "Anything. Animals, Pokemon, drawing..."

"Animals!

"Okay." So we talked about his class's animal reports. He asked me to guess which classmate was reporting on each animal. (I didn't get any of them right. Time to change the subject.)

"What's your favorite book?"

"I dunno." Dear God. Have I failed him completely?!

"I mean, if you were going to be stranded on a desert island, and you could only bring one book, which one would it be?"

"That's easy! I would bring a book about how to survive on a desert island. If I had one."

"Wow. You are really, really smart! I wouldn't ever have thought of that. I would just think, 'What's my favorite story?' How about just one kind of food, and just one drink? You would have enough to last your whole life, but it could only be one kind of each thing."

"Fruit, probably. And Gatorade."

"One kind of music?"

"The Phineas and Ferb cd."

"Which one? The one from The Other Dimension movie, or the one from the show?"

"The show."

"Yeah, that's the one I'd choose, too. Favorite toy?"

(No hesitation.) "Chico."

What if you could only bring one person with you? But it could be anyone. Anyone in the whole world?"

"Walker." Again, no hesitation, no doubt in his mind.

"Two people?"

"Sissy."

"Three?"

"Dad."

"Four?"

"You, Mom."

"Yeah, why am I the last one?"

"I'd bring Walker for Fun. Sissy for Comfort. Dad for Protection. And you for Love."

Smart kid.