“It’ll blow up”

Tyler is just full of questions and sometimes he just asks them to see if I’m listening. I have to admit, towards the end of a full day of this, I begin to wane and sometimes throw out random responses to see if he’s listening.

Tyler: What happens if we mix your toothpaste with my toothpaste in the sink?

Me (tired): It’ll blow up.

Tyler (incredulously): Really?? How come it’s not blowing up now?

Me: Ah, well we’re in Alameda, there’s something special about the water here. . .

I’m trying to teach him that when the answer is, “it’ll blow up” that is the code for, “Daddy is tired of answering your questions now, try again later with less urgency.

I now understand why my father once bought me volumes 1 & 2 of this huge book titled “Tell Me Why” which I now see has three volumes.