Smarter Than Me

I knew it was coming, this day of days.  And today, here it is.

The day she is smarter than me.

"Mummy...I'm thinking of an animal.  It starts with an X."

"Hmmm," I pretend to think.  "It must be...an X-RAY FISH"

"Nope," she replies with a little giggle.

"Honey," I say gently, "I don't think there are any other animals that begin with X"  She is just turned 4 after all, still figuring out her letters and sounds.  I'll take this as a teaching opportunity!

"Of course there is, Mummy!  I'm thinking...of...a...XENOPS!"


Ah, yes.  The Xenops.  That member of the Furnariidae family we all refer to so commonly as "ovenbirds".  The Xenops.  We saw one at the bird feeder just the other day.  The Xenops.  Don't those folks down the road keep one as a pet?

XENOPS????

She's only four.  I'm sure that today is the first of many such days.  A she is smarter than me kind of day.