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(We’re on a walk, pretty far from home)

Me: Uh oh.

LB: Why did you say “Uh oh”?

Me: We might get caught in the rain.

LB: Why we might get caught in the rain?

Me: The storm clouds are moving in.

LB: Why are the storm clouds moving in?

Me: The wind is blowing them our way. They have rain in them.

LB: Why is the wind blowing?

Me: Because hot and cold air are bumping into each other.

LB: Why you say “Uh oh?”

Me: Because I don’t want us to get soaked in the rain.

LB: Why do you not want us to get soaked in the rain?

Me: Because we’d get cold and wet.

(Pause)

LB: Why you say “Uh oh”?

And most of this is just new-human-on-the-planet-trying-to-figure-out-how-this-all-works stuff. But I think some of it is her figuring out how to keep a conversation going. If I ask an adult about their job, I might follow up by asking “What do you love about that?” or “Does that ever get frustrating?”. Lightning Bug’s 3-year-old brain doesn’t run those routes yet, but if she asks “Why?” she’ll get an answer that isn’t just a “Yes” or “No”, and will keep the dialogue rolling. It’s actually a pretty sophisticated stab at interacting as an adult.

And like interacting with adults, it’s charming and frustrating.