Apparently, I'm a Hersey Bar

Here's the recap of our conversation in the car last night:

Bralon: "Mommy, how do you spell tan?"

Me: "T-A-N."

Bralon: "Hmm. Very interesting. I just saw a sign on that store that says 'Tan Me'. What does that mean?"

Me: "You know, like in the summer, if you sit in the sun too long you get a tan?"

Bralon: "Oooohhhh. I don't want to be tan."

Me: "Why not?"

Bralon: "Then, I'd have to get a whole new family."

Me: "What?"

Bralon: "Maybe I could live with Matthew's family."

Me: "Why do you say that?"

Bralon: "Because Matthew's family is tan."

(Aside: Matthew's family is African-American and so are we. I didn't realize he saw us as different. I was REALLY confused - so I thought I'd ask for clarification.)

Me: "So if Matthew is tan, what are we?"

Bralon: "Duh, mommy - you're chocolate!"

Me: I couldn't say anything. I was just trying to digest the fact that my son thinks I'm the color of a Hersey bar.

Last year, he told me that his kindergarten teacher was peach!

It's so interesting the way he views race.

Chanda