January 28, 2010 - Advice from a 3-almost-4 year old

Last week I was running on my treadmill while William was playing on the computer. When I finished, he said, "Mommy, that (indicating the treadmill) will make your tummy flat."
I chuckled and said, "yes, it will help. Do you think Mommy has a flat tummy?" William just started at me. He looked as if he was weighing his answers in his head before speaking. I turned to my side and asked again. Again, William regarded me quietly, looking first at my belly and then at his own. "Yes," he finally replied, almost hesitantly.

Fast forward a few days, when I was driving home from the store with both kids, I was listing off the things they needed to do when we arrived home. Here's our conversation:
Me - "Isabelle, you need to study Social Studies, take a shower, and read your book. William, you also need to take a bath."
Isabelle - "And what are you going to do Mommy?"
Me - "I'm going to run."
William - "So your tummy will be flat?"
Isabelle (bracing for Mommy to burst into tears) - "Huh?"
Me - "William told me the other day that running on the treadmill makes people's tummies flat."
Isabelle (sounding relieved) - "Oh! Yeah! Soon you'll be skinny like me! Well, you are getting skinnier but soon you'll be tall and skinny just like me!"
Me - "I am losing weight, but I'll never be skinny like you."
Isabelle - "Why?"
Me - "Because I have hips."
Isabelle - "I have hips too!"
Me - "Yes, but mine are curvy. I have curves."
William - "That's because you have boobies."
Me (not hearing him correctly) - "I have boogies?"
William - "No! You have BOOBIES!!"
Me (laughing) - "Where did you learn that word?!"
William - "From Daddy."

And finally, from a couple of nights ago. This time it was with Matt. Matt was changing t-shirts and William was in the room with him. The conversation, as told to me by Matt, went something like this:
William - "Daddy! You have a fat belly!"
Matt - "I do?"
William - "Yeah! You need to (moving arms in running motion)"
Matt - "Run?"
William - "Yeah. You need to run so you can have a flat belly."

Yikes! Good thing I'm exercising and eating healthy! Those little kids can be such critics! Sheesh!