MAYbe

The good news -- Addison has emerged from his "Really, REALLY?" phase.

We've always admired his lawyer-like skills of critical inquiry and argumentation. A five year old who tends to front half of his sounds, and yet doesn't hesitate to lodge all kinds of objections, redirect almost any question and badger any witness is an endless source of amusement (and, admittedly, occassional frustration).

So he's been in this phase recently where he questioned the veracity of most claims that extended beyond his prior view of the universe. (This has possibly been exacerbated by a father who is given to exageration and hypberbole, I'll admit.)

PERSON A MENTIONS NEW FACT.

Addison: Really?

PERSON A: mmm-hmm.

Addison: Really REALLY!?

PERSON A: Yes. Really.

Addison: Really, really, REALLY!!??

You can see how this spirit of skepticism could become, well, annoying. When applied as often and as tenaciously as he was, it was downright troubling.

So the good news is that the Really Really phase seems to be over.

The bad news? A subtle relativism seems to have taken its place.

Suddenly Addison doesn't make any claim, about knowledge, memory or fact without adding at the end...(sometimes two seconds later):

"Maybe."

or

"I FINK."

or

"but...MAYbe."

He'll explain a dream, or something that happened at school or how fast he just ran or what he thought you just said, but then, after recounting it all at great length, he'll pause:

"....I fink."

And if you don't nod and acknowledge his newfound ability to recognize the probabilistic nature of human claims (a nod or "yeah, i think so too" will do)...then he says it again:

"Dad? I FINK!!!"

Suddenly the world is plunged into a kind of flux that I thought was reserved for the emerging relativism that we see in second-semester college students. Only worse.

"Addison, did you put your socks on?"

"Yes..."

My glance confirms the truth of the statement. His socks are, indeed, on.

"...but, MAYbe."

"No, Addison, look your socks are on. You can make SOME statements of fact without qualifying them. Do you understand that its okay to say, 'yes, my socks are on'?"

"Yes..."

he says...

"...I fink."

AHHHH!

"Addison, everything in the whole entire world, everywhere including everything can't be followed by an 'I think.' or a 'maybe' can it?!"

Silence for a moment. I decide that he's considering this claim, or just ready to move on to a new topic. He's only five after all.

"...maybe."

I glance over, his impish grin betrays him. He knows what he's doing.

I can't believe that I'm on THIS side of this argument...