Science Geek Son

Ahhh...the perils of having a science geek for a father.

The other day, my son asked me a question for which I didn't have a ready answer. "Why does Daisy (our dog) have feet?" he asked.

What?

Why does our dog have feet? I'll be honest, I had never once thought to ask myself that question. All dogs have feet. So do all humans. And cats, squirrels, chipmunks, monkeys, llamas - they all have feet as well. Hopefully none of this comes as earth shaking news to anyone.

So I laughed and asked, "Do you want the science answer or the short answer?"

He responded, "The science answer!"

Awesome. I love the science answer - it gives me a chance to talk science with my little boy and show him some of the marvels of the world, the beauty that is nature, and the fact that it is cool to know some of this stuff. Plus, if he gets bored with the answer, I can always toss in stuff about dinosaurs or giant squid if necessary. Those never fail to capture the imagination. (Although in this particular case, I wasn't sure how I could swing the subject from canine appendages to squid tentacles).

So I replied, "Because she is a tetrapod."

Insert puzzled look on 3 year olds face here. "What?"

"A tetrapod," I replied. "Any animal with 4 limbs is considered a tetrapod. It has to do with the fact that they all share a common ancestor which probably crawled out of the water sometime in the late Devonian period."

"Devonian?"

"Yep." I am now proud of my answer and of my son who is able to say the word "Devonian".

"So she has feet because she is a tetrapod," says the incredulous 3 year old.

"Yep."

"Am I a tetrapod?"

"Yep. Four limbs. Count 'em. 1 - 2 - 3 - 4."

"But I don't have 4 feet. I have 2 feet and 2 hands."

"Hands and feet are just modifications of the sets of bones which were present in the earliest tetrapods."

He looks at me quizzically for a few seconds. "I have an idea! Lets play trains!"

Clearly I am losing him. "Did you know that dinosaurs were also tetrapods?" I ask, grasping to hold his attention for a few seconds more.

"Dinosaurs were tetrapods?"

"Yes," I say, back on track.

"Ok. Is mommy a tetrapod?"

"Yep. Be sure to tell her that when we go upstairs for lunch. And while you are at it, remind her that mushrooms are fungi. She loves science words."

"Ok. OH! I have an idea...lets play trains!"

Resigned to ending another science lesson, I capitulate and we start building a track. Halfway through the construction of what has to be the worlds most amazing setup of plastic connecting traintracks, with my son pushing his trains -Thomas (the Tank Engine), Gordon, James, and Percy - I hear the cutest thing.

My son is speaking to his trains. "Thomas, you are not a tetrapod because you have 6 wheels and no feet. But I am, and so is mommy."

I love being a dad.