I am not a Genius

That last born son of mine is at it again: He's being all sweet and innocent and just downright astute.

Malcolm and I were working on a family puzzle.  It was just the two of us; the others had lost interest and wondered outside.  I found a piece and popped it into place.

"Mommy!" he exclaimed, "You're a genius!"

We kept working and then he found a piece.  "Mommy!  I'm a genius, too!  And you know why?  Because I eat salmon and it makes my brain grow!  Its working!"

We sized up pieces and tried out a few spots for a couple of more minutes.  He looked at me.  "Mommy?"

"Yes?"

"You're not a genius."  Wow, I thought, someone needs to talk to this kid about reasonable puzzle-solving rate expectations.

He continued, "I can't call you a genius because I don't want other people to feel bad who aren't geniuses and when I say something about one person and not about someone else, that will make them feel bad, right?"

My little boy is growing a conscience.