Growing up fast

The Friday after Thanksgiving, our town holds its annual Christmas parade. This is a small town at its best — everyone in town packs onto the city's main street, people sell hot chocolate at stands, and classic cars, fire trucks and dancers stroll down the road waving.

I went with my friends Jenn, Renee, Jess and Jess daughter, Emma. A parade is much more fun with children, who always point out what we as adults take for granted.

Afterwards, Renee, Jess and Emma came over for macaroni and cheese and wine — the former being for Emma and the latter for the rest of them. As for me, I had both. We were sitting there as Emma ate her noodles out of a pink plastic bowl, andit came up that she will be starting school next year, since she turns five in February.

"I can't wait until I am an adult and don't have to go to school anymore," she said. I pointed out how once she's an adult, she will have to work instead. She countered that no, she is just going to stay home with the children. (She's four and she's already hating school and planning a family).

"They have a shop at the hospital where you can go get a baby," she continued.

Lessons learned: So that's where babies come from.