A Conversation Between Leif and His Cousins

Characters:
Leif: My brilliant, handsome, adorable, loving, perfect four-year old nephew. (Shown in top picture.)
Jen-Jen: That’s what he calls me. (Something to do with no “aunt” equivalent in Japanese.)
The Babies: My uterine guests. (Their heads are shown in bottom picture.)
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Leif: Are the babies still inside?
Jen-Jen: Yes, they are still in there. [Please be true.]
Leif: Why won’t they come out?
Jen-Jen: Because they are too little and need to grow still.
Leif: Yeah? Why?
Jen-Jen: Because…ummm…all babies need to grow before they come out of their mommy’s tummy.
Leif: Why?
Jen-Jen: Ummm…because that’s what babies do in mommy’s tummy. [Changing subjects, because I am never good at answering “why” questions] Do you want to listen to the babies and see if they are talking? [Why oh why did I say this??? What is wrong with me? I tried to teach him once that bones are inside us and he STILL goes around hitting his little chest and proudly proclaiming "Bones inside." Now he will put his head on other people’s stomachs to listen for babies talking and people will think he’s strange.]
Leif: Yeah?
Jen-Jen: Yes. Put your ear here on my tummy. [Leif obliges; I’m already regretting this.]
Leif: All I hear is drip drip.
Jen-Jen: OK, maybe the babies are sleeping.
Leif: I want to give the babies a hug. [Leif wraps his arms around my stomach]
Jen-Jen: Me, too.

And wouldn’t that be a perfect place to end this conversation? Yet it continues.

Leif: I want to share my toys with the babies.
Jen-Jen: You are such a good boy! It's nice to share.
Leif: I have babies in my tummy too!
Jen-Jen: You do?
Leif: Yeah. I have [counts on his fingers] four babies. [rubs his tummy]
Jen-Jen: Boys can’t have babies in their tummys.
Leif: Yeah? Why?
Jen-Jen: [Changing subjects again] Who wants a lolly pop?