Reasoning With Reese

The one where Reese finds something wrong with the universe and creeps us out a little:

Reese: Mom, isn't Great Grandma Tenney (Mima) like...90 or something?
Me: Yes, she is 91, almost 92.
Reese: Well, um...shouldn't she be dead by now? 

Later, I tried explaining how lucky we are to still have Mima with us, but she just jumped in with
"But it doesn't make any sense. She's the oldest one I know. She should be next."

and then Quincy chimed in with "Nuh UH, Dad's gonna die first. He's the oldest. Wait. Who is older, Mom?  You or Dad? That's who dies first. Ok, maybe it's Grandma or Grandpa next. They are old..."

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The one where I fess up:

While driving past NWACC
Reese: Hey look, there's your college. Why do people go to college?
Meg: To get an education.
Reese: What's that?
Meg: It means "to learn".  You don't stop learning when you grow up.  You are always learning new things, even when you aren't in school.  If you want to learn about something specific, like history or art or how to be a better speaker or something, you can learn about it at college. 

Reese: But why did YOU go to college?
Meg: Because I wanted to learn some new things.  I got to read a lot of books for one class, and I learned about how to be a better teacher in another class, and...
Reese: Yeah, but you don't need college for that stuff. You already know everything. Right?

(Yeah. I was pretty tempted to say, "Right!" and end the convo there. I did the right thing and sold myself out as a non all-knowing being to my child.  At least I hope it was the right thing. She's only 7...seems like I should have gotten away with "knowing everything" for at least a few more years.)

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The one where Reese uses brilliance and logic to charm her way out of doing chores:
Reese: Ugh. It is always going to be like this? Where you tell me, "Quincy is only 5", and that's why she doesn't have the same rules or have to help clean our room as much? 

Me: You will always be 2 years older than Quincy, so...yes, I think so. You always have at least a few different rules because you are different children with different talents, but also because you are different ages.  Get used to that answer, because you will probably hear it again.

Reese: Well then can't you start using that answer for me, too? Someday, I will be 9, but today I'm only 7, so you could make it a little easier for me too, so I don't have to help as much, either. 
Me: laughs, why would I make it easier? You have rules for a 7 year old Reese, not a 5 year old Quincy.  She isn't you. You each get your own rules and chores.

Reese: Because if you said I don't have to help clean up sometimes, that would make it fair.  I'm always gonna be 2 years older than Quincy, but today I am two years younger than the 9 year old myself.  That isn't fair that you say, "Quincy is only 5, you are two years older" and not "Reese is only 7"