How many days 'til Chicken Little is out on video?

Mr. W. and I arranged a babysitter for L. and took S. to see Chicken Little yesterday. I came to the movie mentally braced to a. remove S. if she became too scared, talkative or restless (she did eat half a pack of Sour Patch Kids) or b. scurry her to the potty and back. Oddly enough, S. sat through the entire movie without making much of a peep and didn't need to potty until after we returned home. Mr. W. and I walked out of the theater giving each other mental high-fives and congratulating ourselves on a fabulous first movie theater experience for a three year old.

We were walking through the parking lot back to our car when we first began to realize that this little visit to the theater would be the gift that kept on giving.

The conversation in the car on the way home ran something like this:

S.: Mommy, tell me about Chicken Little.

Me: What about Chicken Little.

S.: Tell me about the beginning of Chicken Little.

Me: Chicken LIttle was hit on the head with a piece of spaceship, and rang the schoolhouse bell so everyone would know something had happened.

S.: Why?

Me: Why what?

S.: Why the bell?

Me: He rang the bell because it was an emergency

S.: Why an emergency?

Me: Because it's not normal for spaceship parts to fall from the sky.

S.: Why the bell?

Me: Because it was an emergency. The bell was loud enough for everyone in town to hear.

S.: Why?

Me: (bringing out the big guns) Because those were the rules. When there is an emergency, Chicken Little knew he was supposed to ring the bell.

S.: Why?

Me: Daddy, don't you want to take it from here?

S.: No, I want Mommy!

Mr. W.: She's all yours (thanks a lot Mr. W.)

Me: Chicken little was playing under the oak tree when a piece of spaceship hit him on the head. He knew it was an emergency and rang the schoolhouse bell so everyone would know. People got really scared and did not drive safely. They had a bunch of accidents and even knocked down the water tower. Nobody believed Chicken Little and he was very sad.

S.: Why?

Me: Because they didn't see the spaceship piece.

S.: Why?

Me: Because it disappeared.

S.: Why?

Me: Because.

S.: Why?

Me: Because

S. : Tell me about the emergency.

Me: Chicken Little was playing under the tree...

S.: No, the OTHER emergency.

Me: Chicken Little and his friends were chased by aliens from the spaceship. They knew it was an emergency, so Chicken Little rang the bell again. The people came running, but still didn't see the spaceship. Chicken Little was sad when the people didn't believe him again.

S.: Why?

Me: Because it's sad when people won't believe you. That's why we always tell the truth.

S.: Why?

Me: Because lying is bad.

S.: Tell me about the emergency.

Me: Chicken Little was hit on the head by a piece of spaceship. He rang the bell on the schoolhouse because he knew it was an emergency. The people of the town were very upset and had a bunch of accidents. Nobody believed Chicken Little, and this made him sad.

S.: Tell me about the OTHER emergency.

...Well, you get the drift. She started up on the 'Tell me about the emergency' questioning process again on the way to and from church this morning. I may be pre-ordering and standing in line to get the first copy of Chicken Little when it comes out on DVD. Either that, or I'll just tape our next conversation and play it back to her over and over and over and over again.

I have been told that having a toddler who asks a lot of questions is a blessing. It means she's very smart. I'm beginning to think it just means she's perfected parent torturing techniques that can make grown women cry.