The Captain found a 10 cent coin (or 10…somethings) from Hong Kong in his room. We have no idea where it came from or how it got there (worm hole through the Earth? STRONG POSSIBILITY), but between this and our recent visit to my friend Miker’s coin collection, he’s now all of a sudden enamoured of Coins of the World. He’s my junior numismitist.
I have a handful of coins from other countries that my grandparents brought back for me on their various travels (sadly, a much smaller collection than it was, as many were stolen in a break-in at my mom’s house many years ago, and that makes me SO angry, because I’m sure they got like, a dollar for my 25 cent Chinese coin, but it meant something to me, and thieves SUCK THE BIG SUCKAGE, so there). Anyway, I got out the coins at the Captain’s request so he could pour over them.
So he’s looking at the coins, then every three minutes or so I get this: “Mom, when you’re dead, can you leave these to me?” And also, “I mean, in your will, after you die, you will say these are specifically for me?” And this too, “I can have these, right? After you’re dead?”
Sure, buddy, although please try to remember I am currently still breathing over here. Memo to self: put poisonous cleaning supplies on a HIGHER shelf.
This comes soon after I was snuggling with Gal Smiley on this green chair we have in our family room, a few days ago. I warned her to be careful of the arms because the chair used to belong to my grandmother and it was special to me. So Gal Smiley asks if that means I will be passing it on to someone when I die, and if so, could it be her, and would I mind mentioning that in my will?
VULTURES.
TurtleHead 
that is funny! not sure my kids have ever mentioned anything of the sort…. but that is funny!
This reminds me of a lady who babysat me when I was little, who gave her granddaughter her tea set because she couldn’t take the granddaughter asking if she was going to die soon any longer (because she had told her she’d will it to her). That kid was crazy like a fox, man.
Our family has a solution for this. It’s called “putting your Band-Aid on something”. For example, say you like a particular picture, and want it when the person who owns it is dead, you write your name on a Band-Aid and stick it on the back.
This is reassuring for the asker, who feels certain they will get what they want eventually, and avoids the “when you’re dead” conversation. “I’m putting my Band-Aid on this” sounds much kinder than “When do you think you might die so I can have this?”
Go buy some Band-Aids …
LOL. Probably better to ask than not. I like Tudor’s idea (I think I’ve heard of that before… trying to remember if it was actually *from* Tudor). In fact, I wish I *could* ask… I have always wanted the ancient foot-crank sewing machine that sits at the cottage, and belonged to my great-grandmother (who, we’re told, responded to the offer of an electric sewing machine with “you wouldn’t dare!!!”). But with my grandparents now ailing, I don’t know how to ask, while making it clear, I would rather keep THEM than the sewing machine.
So funny!
Why not just give it to him now? 🙂
Very funny, Lynn!
The Band-Aid idea sounds great.
My kids are still little (4 1/2 and 1 1/ 2), but I am sure my oldest wouldn’t hesitate to ask me to leave him something in my will after I die. He tends to be very direct (as kids this age are).
My daughter is all about heirlooms. I have several items from both of my grandmas and many, many things from my mom. Her favourite is my mom’s ring…she’s forever double-checking: “When you die, your mom’s ring will go to me, right? Just like it went to you?” What can I say? When I was little I used to say to my mom: “When you die, all I want is your ring.” I see where she gets it!
Haha…kids are so weird. My husband’s cousin was telling us yesterday how his kids are clamouring for a dog but he is so severely allergic (he was telling us while reacting a bit in our car, which our hypo-allergenic dog wasn’t even in at the time!) that they keep telling him when he’s dead, they’ll be able to get a dog.
I’ve been randomly saving coins from our travels – China, Cuba, Australia, etc – and it’s super weird to imagine passing them onto a future grandchild someday!
My parents just gave me a vase that my grandfather had given to my grandmother — about 10 minutes later, my daughter told my mother that it would be hers one day and that she’d take very good care of it!