Rudolph WHO?

Left to Right: Aunti Sheri, Great Grandma Lennie, Grandpa Ek, Great Grandpa Rudy

Earlier this week, Beck and Caden were sitting at the breakfast table, waiting for me to finish making their pancakes and pondering some very existential thoughts - for preschoolers, anyway. It all began like this...

Beck woke up earlier than the rest of the family that Sunday morning and went down to his "office" to color some pictures for us while he patiently (uh-huh, seriously, I really said patiently) waited for the rest of the house to wake. He made one for himself, one for Caden, one for Mommy and one for Daddy. When I finally crawled out of bed to make breakfast, he moved his creative genius to the kitchen to continue his work and await his flapjacks. He informed Caden and I that he'd be making more pictures for the rest of his family since he'd be seeing them over the holidays... starting with Grandpa Ek since he wouldn't really get to see him.

Now, my dad has been gone for over two years, but I try to keep his memory alive in the boys since they were so young when he passed away. So whenever they present me with an opportunity I jump at it. Today, in that vein, I quickly snatched a picture off of the board in the kitchen and showed it to them. It's a picture of my Dad and Aunt Sheri with my Grandparents, Lempi and Rudolph Ek. Dad probably wasn't much older than Beck in the photo...

The following conversation then took place:

Me: "Beck, do you want to SEE a picture of Grandpa Ek when he was just about your age? Here, look."

I handed Beck the picture.

Beck: "Uh-huh..."

Caden: "I wannoo see too!"

Me: "And look, there's Aunti Sheri and your Great Grandma Lennie. She was MY Grandma!"

Beck: "YOUR Grandma?"

Caden: "Whet me SEE!!"

Me: "Yes, now let Cade see too... and that man there, that's your Great Grandpa Rudolph. We called him Grandpa Rudy."

Beck: "Grandpa Rudolph?"

Me: "Uh-huh. He was your Grandpa Ek's daddy."

Caden: "WHET me SEE!!!!"

Beck FINALLY passes the picture to Caden...

Caden (with brows furrowed): "But MOMMY! Where are his antwers?????"