Lions With Eggs

One night last week, I came to Kiefer's classroom to retrieve him from school and he was drawing a picture alongside one of his teachers. They were using those plastic tracer-gadgets in different animal shapes and making lions. Even though Kiefer announced "Mom, look I did this ALL by myself"... I could see that his helper had done most of the tracing and "fixing" (when you trace the 1" x 2" very small lion with a crayon - it basically comes out looking like an oval with a small head-like circle and no legs or tail.) So, she had drawn on the mane, legs and tail after removing the trace tool, added a sun, etc. Kiefer was responsible for the grass and dirt that was accurately placed below the lions' feet.

We left and brought the picture in the car with us going home. Kiefer said, "Mom, I need a pencil. I need to draw some eggs."

So, I dug around in the car for a pen - passed it back during the drive and he went to town adding eggs to his picture. "Kiefer - why are you drawing eggs?"

"Mom. So the lions can have babies."

"Well, actually mommy lions grow babies in their tummies like humans and other cats. They don't lay eggs. Birds lay eggs and dinosaurs had eggs."

"No, mom. Lions have their babies in eggs. I've seen them before! Maybe they have them in their tummies in Africa or somewhere like that, but not at the zoo. Those lions have eggs."

More egg coloring continued in the back seat. "Mom, I think I drew too many eggs - they are really close together."

"Buddy, I'm sure it looks wonderful. I can't wait to see it.." Some of the eggs were free-standing while a group of them were together on the grass, sort of like a nest.


"Mom - will you show my picture to your friends? And if they like it - you tell me!"

"Sure bud, I am positive they will love it! It's awesome. I'll take it to work tomorrow."

"But Mama. If they don't like it..... don't tell me. And you know what? When I grow up and go to work, you can draw pictures for me to take to work to show to my friends!"