Hangman with a four-year-old

It's a Life Sentence on facebook.

20 Questions

We commute. Therefore we play twenty questions in the car. A lot. In the beginning it was just silly. Our six-year-old always chose T-Rex. Our four-year-old, Spiderman. And I mean Every. Single. Time. It would have been horrendously boring if it wasn't such a riot.

But now, a year or two later, their minds have expanded they have a whole new wealth of ideas. Now that they're no longer limited to web slinging superheroes and carnivores it's actually gotten tricky.

Today's game with my four-year-old was one for the records.

Son: Okaaaay. I got it!
Me: Is it alive?
Son: Uh, no. I mean yes. Okay, no. No it's definitely not alive. I don't think.
Me: Did it used to be alive?
Son: No.
Me: Is it a toy?
Son:( LONG PAUSE) No.
Me: Is it a place?
Son: No. Do you want me to tell you what it is?
Me: No.
Me: Is it a thing?
Son: Yes. But it's not alive. It is NOT a bird.
Me: Okay. Thanks. Have you seen one before?
Son: Yes.
Me: Here in Chicago.
Son: No. It's not in Chicago.
Me: Is it in another state?
Son: Yes. Do you want a hint?
Me: Sure.
Son: It's red.
Me: Red. Hm, okay. Did we see it in Utah?
Son: Yes. Actually, no. Actually, I'm not so sure about that.
Me: Did we see it in Florida?
Son: Yes.
Me: On Spring Break?
Son: (EXCITED) Yesssss....do you want me to tell you what it is?
Me: No.
Me: Is it a swimming pool?
Son. Nooo. Pools aren't red mommy. Do you want another hint?
Me: No. Not yet.
OLDER SON INTERRUPTING: IT WOULD BE RED IF A SHARK SWAM INTO THE POOL AND ATE EVERYONE IN IT. IT WOULD BE RED BECAUSE THERE WOULD BE BLOOD.
Me: Okay, stop. He already said it's not a pool.
Son. Okay. Do you want a hint?
Me: Yes.
Son: It's a crescent shape.
OLDER SON INTERRUPTING: IS IT THE MOON?
Son: Stop talking to me you can't play cheater! Only mommy can play!!!!
Me: Is it the moon?
Son: No.
Me: Okay, so it's red and it's a crescent.
Son: NOOOOO. I said it's kinda red and it is also kinda a crescent shape.
Me: And it's not a toy?
Son: No.
Me:  Was it in Key West?
Son: Let me think.
(REALLY LONG PAUSE)
Son: I'm not sure. Ask me something else.
Me: Is it stone crabs?
Son. No. How many questions do you have left?
Me: Nineteen.
Son. Okay. Ask more. But I can't tell you what other color it is because then you'll weally, weally know what it is!
Me: Oh, it's not just red?
Son: No, but I can't tell you that. You have to guess!
Me: Okay, is it another color than red?
Son: (PAUSE) Yes.
Me: Is it purple?
Son: No.
Me: And it's not in Chicago?
Son: It IS in Chicago. It's in every city. Every state in the whole wide world.
Me. Oh...you said it was not in Chicago.
Son. Yes it IS. It's everywhere.
Son: Do you want me to tell you what it is?
Me: No. Not ye...
Son. It's a WATERMELON!!!!!
Me: Ohhhh. Watermelon. That's a good one.
OLDER SON SCREAMING: WATERMELONS AREN'T CRESCENTS UNLESS YOU TAKE A BITE! YOU SHOULD HAVE PICKED THE MOON! THAT IS CRAZY! MY TURN!

Older Son: Okay, I got it!
Me: Is it alive?

And I thought Hangman was fun.

It's a Life Sentence on Facebook.