What Ben Said #3

At dinner last night Ben announced, "The names go out of my head."

I was trying to spoon beechnut stage 3 somethingerother into Rebecca's mouth while she (as usual) banged violently in her high chair so I didn't respond at first.

"Mama! The names go out of my head!" Ben repeated, louder.

I looked up. "I have no idea what you're talking about, sweetie."

"The names!" he insisted. "Sometimes they go out of my head. And then I can't say them because I don't know them anymore."

I looked at him blankly. "People's names, you mean?" I ventured.

"Yes. They're very small -- " Here he put his hand up and waved it around the air by his right temple as if to indicate very small things in the air by his ear -- "so you can't see them."

I tried to make sense of what on earth he was trying to communicate. "You forget people's names sometimes?" I guessed, stifling a laugh.

"Yes!" He looked relieved that I was finally understanding him.

"Whose names do you forget?" I asked.

He spread his hands and gave me a sheepish look. "Everyone's, sometimes."

I leaned over and patted his arm. "That's okay sweetie. Daddy forgets people's names all the time too."