See that munchkin on my back? Many a stranger has commented on how well (and how much) she speaks, particularly for a 4-year-old. My usual response is that my daughter really never stops talking. And while a lot of that talking takes the form of storytelling (she’s got a robust imagination), she also asks a lot of questions. Inquiring minds want to know, I suppose.

And so, inspired by “Social Dad” James Smith, I decided to take note of some of these questions and share them with you here. For James’ part, his daughter asks bizarre bedtime questions like, “Do horses have bones?” and, “Do teddy bears bite?”

My daughter? Well, here’s a sampling of what she’s been asking me lately:

Why do you have armpit hair? Why do you like it?

It’s perfectly understandable that she’s at an age where she has questions about her body and why it’s different from mine. And while I could get try to get into an evolutionary explanation for body hair, I don’t really have an adequate answer for why I “like” it. I mean, it’s not like I dislike it, but she’s really wondering why I don’t shave it off. These questions are only going to get harder as she gets older.

Are eggs meat?

When she asks me about chameleons, I can tell her about how they change color and how they have long tongues for catching bugs. When she asks me questions like this, I’m not nearly as confident in my answer. I guess? Sort of? Only if it’s fertilized or no? We’re hardly a vegan family, so it’s not really something we’ve thought about.

Meat makes me grow, right?

Growing up, my parents taught me not to waste food. I think most parents do that. They also taught me that if I’m not going to finish everything, then at least eat all the meat. That’s the best part. It’s typically the most expensive part. Consciously or unconsciously, I think we’ve passed along a similar mindset, teaching her that protein is what makes you strong… rightly or wrongly, I suppose.

Why do you have to pay?

At just four years of age, my daughter doesn’t really have a real grasp on the concept of money. Not really. She doesn’t really know that we need to work to earn money that can then be spent on the things we need (and want). She understands (and enjoys) the procedure of paying for something, but not the why. Or maybe she’s just ahead of me, asking why we aren’t already living in the money-free, science fiction future of Star Trek.

Is Japan far away? Like on another planet?

While our visit there might feel like a lifetime ago (it was back in 2007), Japan is not, in fact, on another planet. Whether or not it’s “far away” is a matter of opinion, I guess. She thinks anything more than a 15-minute drive is far away, so from that vantage point, Japan is very far.

Are all my friends going to the kindergarten too? Are all my [preschool] friends going to the [same] kindergarten too?

I may have learned just as much from preschool as she has. It’s hard to believe she’ll be starting kindergarten in just a couple of months. Based on the orientation session and tour we had a few weeks ago, we’ll be seeing at least a couple of familiar faces at her new school.

Hands up, baby hands up. Gimme your heart. Where mommy learn that song? From Netflix? Or the theatre maybe?

We listen to a lot of music, both at home and in the car. She’s gotten really good at memorizing lyrics. Sometimes, we tell her about songs that we enjoyed when we were younger, and then she asks where we “learned” about them. “Maybe when you were a baby?”

How many hours in 10 hours?

I didn’t expect to address math problems with her for a few more years.

Daddy, you’re back! Did you get a coffee? Starbucks has coffee, right?

It’s funny the things that kids notice. In this house, my wife is the tea drinker and I’m the coffee drinker, by and large. And my kid is no stranger to consumerism at this point either. But hey, coffee is good for you, right? I only drink a couple cups a day. I will not, however, comment on the size of said cups.

Do your kids ask bizarre questions too? Share of the best in the comments below!