Mmmm... Pig...

I was driving in the car with the kids today, going past a slowly growing corn field.  I've explained to Sunshine before that that corn is field corn and will be given to animals so no we won't eat it.  So there we are, I'm practically falling asleep behind the wheels when Sunshine begins.


"Mommy, do pigs eat that corn?"


"Yes, that's for the pigs."


"OH!  So the pigs eat the corn and then they give it to us!"  It was a definite eureka moment for her.


I had visions of pigs pooping out corn kernels when they were done to 'give' to us.  "The pigs give it to us?  What are you talking about?"  Please, remember that I'm half awake still.


"You know, like the cows."


"Like the cows?  What on earth are you talking about?" 


"You know..." obviously I don't and I am a complete moron "like the cows give us milk.  Do the pigs give us the corn then?"


Thinking I could avoid any further conversation about pigs producing corn, I just said, "No."


Forgetting that Sunshine will talk a person's ear off and ask a million questions, she then asked, "Then what do they give us?"


Hmmm... what a dilemma, tell her about that bacon or gloss over it and get to my parents' house as quickly as the speed limit will let me.  "Well, the pigs give us meat."


"Meat?  That's weird.  How do they give us meat?  Do they bring it to us or something?"


"No, they are the meat.  Like when we eat chicken, it's a real chicken, right?  Well some meats that we eat are from pigs."


"We eat pigs?"


"Sometimes."  Please oh please don't become a vegetarian at 5.


"That's pretty cool that pigs give us meat."  (Long pause)  "Do we eat the pink ones or the black ones?"


"I think it's both.  I'm not really sure."


As she sits in the back and ponders this new-learned bit of information, I realize that I am now wide awake and so, so ready to get out of the car.

Vicky