Question marks coming out of his ears

It often takes up to 45 minutes for Tyler to finish his breakfast. This is why we need to get up at 6am and not 7:30 like the other kids in his class. Tyler has an inquisitive mind and is always looking for answers or validation. Izumi and I keep telling him, "less talk, more eat" but sometimes the questions get pent up to the point where you can almost see the curly tips of the question marks sticking out of his ears. Here are three questions that just could not wait,

• Shelby got her bangs cut. This was a statement meant to elicit a response. "Who's Shelby? Is she cute? Do you like her?" Before you know it, you've started a conversation when you were telling him to focus on finishing his meal. Very clever.
  

• Did you know the Box Jelly in Australia is small but also deadly? A variation on the conversation starter. A statement of fact that you can just let float out there but it makes clear that you're an uninteresting person, obviously not concerned with the broader world around you.
  

• What was Zeus' wife like? This is classic Tyler. Totally out of left field, no lead up at all. One minute you're drinking the sweetened milk from the bottom of your bowl of Captain Crunch, the next you're holding your mouth with your hand trying your hardest to focus on not letting it spit out your nose as you try an imagine someone in lightning bolt-shaped hair rollers be-rating the God of Gods for staying out with the boys causing mischief again.