Pretty Soon, He'll Be Paying Rent

So, Oscar got in a little car accident a few weeks back. This, of course, came after he lost his job back in October and after he blew the engine in our other car back in early January. In other words, the timing of this particular accident was not ideal. But then, much of the circumstances of our lives lately have been less than ideal, and when is a car accident ever convenient, anyway? In any event, it was past Turtle's bed time when I was finally able to retrieve him from his babysitter in our poor, overworked, badly injured car.

He noticed the damage as I hustled him to the door and into his car seat and asked why the car was broken. "Daddy got into a little car accident, Buddy" was pretty much all I said before reminding him that he needed to start getting ready for bed as soon as we got home.

The next morning, Oscar and I drove Turtle to school. Turtle again noted the damage to the front of the car, but beyond that didn't have much to say. Until Oscar turned on the turn signal.

Turtle: Mommy! Do you know why the car is making that funny sound?
Me: No, Buddy. Why is the car making that funny sound?
Turtle: Because Daddy got into a little accident yesterday, and now the car is cracked and the light doesn't work, and that's the side with the turn signal, so it makes that noise because it's broken.
Me: (impressed) Yes, Buddy, that's exactly right. Good job!

*pause*

Turtle: I've been working on cars a lot lately. That's how I know that.

I have to say, I'm pretty impressed that his babysitter has been teaching him such marketable skills. And if he manages to get Turtle a job at the local Jiffy Lube by the end of the school year, I might have to give him a raise.