Mermaid Post for Boy

This post is for Boy, who requested a viewing of my blog and was told it's for grownups only. When asked, I told him I'd print up a post and bring it home. But first I have to write a Boy-appropriate post.

This morning, I was asked about the Peruvian mermaid discovery.

Boy: Hey, did you know mermaids are real? There's one in Peru. My friend saw it on the news.

Me, in the midst of brushing Girl's hair and hoping to get us out the door on time and so cutting him off a little: No, that's not what happened--the story is that...you know about Siamese twins, how sometimes babies get stuck together? (Boy nods. Girl says "uhuh" because she can't nod while I'm putting in pigtails). Well, there was a little girl in Peru and she was born with her legs stuck together, but doctors operated and now she's fine and able to walk. Anyway, that's called mermaid syndrome.

Boy: Nah, that's not what my friend saw. His grandfather told him they found a mermaid fossil.

Me: I think his grandfather may have been having a little fun with him.

Boy: But I told Dad about it last night and he thought it was true.

Me: I get the feeling your Dad wasn't really listening.

Guy, walking by: Me, not listening? Never happens.

Boy: There's a mermaid fossil in Peru! Mermaids are real!

Guy, relatively skepticism-free: Really. I hadn't heard that.

Me: Tell you what, I'll look it up at work today.

I have just done so. Googling "mermaid fossil" turned up nothing, but I did find something under "mermaid mummy":

First of all, yes, a resounding eewww. But second, I did a little extra research, and I'm sorry to have to say it, but this my friends is a fake fossil, combining monkey bones with fish bones.

I know we're all very disappointed.

Did you all get how I just killed two birds with one stone here? A post Boy can see and answering the whole mermaid question.

Time management is very important, you know.