I asked John, “What is your favorite animal?” He said “How many fingers do I have behind my back?” I cringe a little. I hate when he asks me that. I guess and say three. He says “No. I’ll give you a hint. One has five.” He has completely tricked me. He never puts two hands behind his back. So I guess and say two. He says “No! Six! I have six favorite animals!” I ask him to list his favorites. He says “Leatherback sea turtles, sea turtles, turtles, cheetahs, lions and the animal that Black Panther is.” Let me take a second now and explain Black Panther one of Marvel’s Avengers. I am laughing in the front seat as he is listing his favorite animals. I respond to John, “It’s in his name, Black Panther.” I say it slow so that he will listen to what I am saying. He says “I think it’s a cat. You know what animal Black Panther is.” I again say “It’s in his name. Black Panther.” John was a little confused. So I finally said, “He is a panther.” I asked him  why he had three different turtles on his list. He said “Turtles have regular legs. Sea turtles have fins. That’s how you can tell the difference. And leatherback sea turtles are black!”

I asked Gillian “What is your favorite animal?” She said “Giraffes and pandas and snails and bugs and spiders. I like spiders!” John says “I have seven now. I like spiders too!” We arrived home and Gillian waited for me on the front porch as I got everything out of the car. As I approached the porch she screamed “Oh no! A spider!” Guess they aren’t her favorite after all.