Megan and the Homeless Man

A few weeks ago...

Megan meets her first homeless man while accompanying Mommy to work.

Later in the day Megan asks her: "Does the man on the street put up a tent at nap time?"

Last night...

Megan: Mommy if I'm bad are you going to give all my stuff to the man who lives on the street beside your work?
Mommy: Yes.
Megan: Where is his wife?
Mommy: I don't think he has a wife.
Megan: He doesn't have a wife or children? Is he lonely? But he has friends right? Like you.
Mommy: Yes.

Creepy Game

Ok, time for some disclosure. Megan and I play a disturbing game at bedtime. We call it "Fee Fi Fo Fum," based on the classic children's fairy tale Jack and the Beanstalk.

At first it was fun, not disturbing. In the basic scenario Megan hides under her covers (as Jack hid from the giant) and I approach the bed roaring "fee fi fo fum! I smell the blood of an English woman! Be she alive or be she dead I'll grind her bones to make my bread!!" There would be a look of terror on her face as I whipped back the covers.

At first that's where the game stopped. After a few nights she came up with a new strategy. After I whipped back the covers she began to say "I'm not her! I'm... you daughter." So I was forced to look elsewhere for the English woman. Megan would point her out and I'd grab the imaginary woman and devour her.

Now after several weeks Megan has me grabbing the woman and her extended family, making sandwiches out of them (one for me and one for Megan--with ketchup!), and most recently pizza. Human pizza. And her relatives? As of tonight they go in the freezer for later.

This is messed up.

a prelude to vegetarianism...?

Today I was preparing to roast a chicken when Megan entered the kitchen. Her jaw dropped.

"Daddy, what is that??"

I introduced her to our chicken.

She said, "Daddy, I don't like chickens when they're like that. I like chickens that can make sounds and walk around. This chicken was killed and killing is bad."

"Well, unfortunately we use chickens for food." This seemed to be good enough for her. Also, I invited her to squeeze some lemon on the dead chicken. I suppose I could have gotten into a longer discussion with her and explained that some people choose not to eat chickens and other animals because they feel it is wrong to kill animals for food. Perhaps another day. And besides, she's not even four years old yet.