Me: Look at those big grey clouds!
D: There’s a tiny triangle of blue over there – like a Dorito!
Me: My granny used to say: “If there’s enough blue to make a Dutchman’s trousers, it will end up being nice.”
D: There’s only enough to make a Dutchman’s shorts. Who is your granny?
Me: She died before you were born. She was G-G’s wife.
D: But that was ages ago and G-G’s still alive!
Me: Yes, he’s strong.
D: Well, he’s not strong with lots of muscles because he’s old, but he kept going.
Me: Yes – mentally, he’s strong.
D: Who was your granny’s mum?
Me: The lady on the front of the photo album with all the family pictures in it in our dining room.
D: Oh. And who’s Granny’s mum?
Me: Granny’s mum is my granny, the lady I just told you about who died before you were born.
D: Does my dad know Granny?
Me: Yes, he knows her from when we were married.
[Long pause]
D: Did you know that everyone in the world is family? They’re all joined up, because otherwise there would be people at the end without a mum and dad which doesn’t make sense – everyone’s from the same family. The person in that car in front is our family. And the random person in that car over there is our family too. And that person, and that person, and that person…
Me: Okay, I suppose that’s true – at some point back in time we must all be related somehow. Where did you learn about that?
D: Nowhere, I just thought of it for myself.