CONVERSATIONS WITH NICK ABOUT SPACE

NICK: Mommy, I had a dream last night.

ALLISON: What was it?

NICK: I was on an unfriendly planet where life…EXISTS!

(Long, befuddled pause)

ALLISON: Huh?

NICK: *Sigh* I was on an unfriendly planet where life exits.

ME: What planet was it?

NICK: The really hot one.

ME: Mercury?

NICK: Yeah.

ALLISON: (to ME) Nice job.

ME: (to ALLISON) Thanks. (to NICK) And how did you know that there was life on this planet?

NICK: There was a man just walking along saying “Do dee do dee do.” But he couldn’t walk because his feet was too hot and he was saying “Ow! Ow!”

ME: I see.

NICK: Daddy?

ME: Yes.

NICK: How they cool that planet down?

ME: Well, I don’t think we know how to do that.

NICK: I know how.

ME: How?

NICK: Okay. Well. We get a space ship. And we take a hose. And we fly out of the atmosphere. And we take the hose to… what’s it?
ME: Mercury.

NICK: Mercury. And we turn on the water and we cool it down.

ME: Good idea. And how do we connect the hose to a water faucet?

NICK: Hmmm… We have to make a big long hose. Then we stick it in a hole.

ALLISON: Good plan.