The Anatomy of a Fart, By Sam

This morning after reading another blog, I was inspired to write a semi-poetic post about how most of us hide our true selves from people so no one will realize how much internal muck we have gunking us up.  We let people see what we want them to see, we're very selective about what we share with whom, we fiercely guard our fears and failures...how many people do we truly allow to penetrate the protective shells we build around ourselves? 

But that idea was trumped by a stimulating conversation I had with Sam on the way to school about farts and other bodily functions.  It was a doozie.

This conversation started with Sam asking where I got my brown eyes and where he got his blue eyes.  When I explained that Daddy gave him his blue eyes, Sam said, "Yeah, but Daddy farts." 

"Well, yes, he does.  But that doesn't have anything to do with the color of his or your eyes."

"But Lena and I fart just a little.  You and Daddy fart a lot."

Laughing, I said, "Well, when you get older, some foods don't digest so easily and can make you fart more than normal."

"What kind of food?"

"Well, we eat a lot of good things at home like fruits and veggies and beans and, unfortunately, those can make you gassy."

"What's gassy mean?"

So I go into the whole digestion discussion, explaining how the body takes what it needs from the food you put into it and gets rid of what it doesn't need.  And sometimes that includes gas, which has to get out somehow.

"So, you see Sam, everyone farts.  It's just part of how our bodies work."

Sam absorbed this and then set out for me the varying levels of his farts and how, "when they get quiet and stinky, I know I have to go potty FAST!"

I laughed so hard during this conversation I nearly had to pull the car over.  I know it might be too much information for some, but come on.  That's funny!  It's just part of life as a mother of a funny 5-year old boy, I guess.  I love Sam's inquisitive mind, always wondering and curious and asking questions. 

Even if results in a 15 minute discussion about farts...