Literally

I do love how kids think. And the things they say. I'm old enough (barely) to remember Art Linkletter bending over to talk to three-year-olds and get their comments on that big fuzzy microphone. A whole TV show revolved around those "darndest things" and it was a hit!

My kids would be stars.

Yesterday we were at the grocery store. We meandered past the floral section, which also has all the helium-filled mylar balloons floating above the vases of roses and gerbera daisies. I was concentrating on trying to find a tomato that might taste like a tomato, and was only vaguely listening while they read off the balloons to each other...

"Oh, look! It's Garfield saying, "Get Well Soon"."

"And there is a pretty one with flowers saying "Get Well Soon"."

"I like this one with Snoopy..."Get Well Soon"."

"There are a lot of "Get Well Soon" ones."

Suddenly, silence.

Then, together, "MOM! WHY would a balloon say that?"

"Say what?" I looked up quickly, worried that some Simpson's phrase had made it onto a kid's birthday balloon.

"We'll miss you", they shrieked in unison. Rowdy Son continued in horror, "Do people really bring that to the hospital? That's just mean."

I guess I need to tell that store to not put the "We'll Miss You" next to the "Get Well Soon" balloons--there is a logical jump that can be made there and it's not always about retirement or moving to a new state. Kids are just too literally-minded to see them together. Although, it was pretty funny.