Whoever Said There's No Such Thing as a Stupid Question--Come to my House!

All day long I feel barraged by inane questions. They are never ending. I try to be flattered that my children think I am so brilliant. Only a true genius, whose brain power the world has never known could possibly know each person driving down the road, their destination, and why they chose that particular color for their mode of transporation.

The questions range from odd, "what's water?" to the intrusively obnxious, "what did you say? Why did you say that. Who were you talking to?" There is no statement that goes unnoticed or unanalyzed in our house. Taken singuarly, none of the questions are bad. But, I kid you not when I say I am asked 1.2 million such questions on a daily basis. Okay, maybe I exaggerate some, but you get the point.

I have tried answering honestly, which always leads to more questions:
Child: Why do I have to go to bed?
Me: You need lots of sleep so that your brain and body can develop and you can grow up to be healthy and strong.
Child: Why do I want to be healthy and strong?
Me: So you can have the energy you need to play games and read books and do all sorts of fun things.
Child: What kind of fun things?
Me: Just go to bed.

I have tried being funny, which, not surprisingly, also leads to more questions:
Child: Why we have to be quiet when you are on the phone?
Me: Because I might be talking a princess and if she hears that you aren't being polite, she won't come over to play.
Child: What princesses do you talk to?
Me: All of them.
Child: What do they say?
Me: If you're noisy, they say, why is that little girl talking when you're on the phone?
Child: What princess says that?
Me: Just be quiet.

As anyone who reads this blog knows by now, I am not shooting for mother of the year. I understand that kids learn by asking questions. But, really, do they have to ask the same ones over and over again? Do they have to ask the ones they already know the answers to? Do they have to ask the obvious ones? Okay, now it is me asking the stupid questions--I know the answer to all of those is a resounding yes. Now, if only there was someone I could ask why.