Part-Time Slave???

You know those conversations children have when adults aren't around?  Or at least our of eyeshot...  Those are my favorite ones to eavesdrop in on.  My boys talk about some of the most interesting stuff and I get such amazing insight into the ways their minds work.

If you follow my blog at all, you are well aware the Rob is fascinated by presidents.  Abraham Lincoln is a true hero in his eyes and he and Ray both think the Civil War is a fascinating piece of American History and so it and relevant aspects are frequent conversation pieces in our home.

As I made lunch the other day, this is a bit of their conversation...

"You know Rob, Abraham Lincoln freed the slaves with the Civil War."

"Yea, I know that."

"You know, you probably would have been a part time slave if it wasn't for Lincoln."

"Yea probably."

"And Papa too.  His skin is a little bit darker too. You and Papa both have darkish skin.  It's not really black, but it's not white like mine."

"Yea.  I know."

"But you are only a little bit dark so you would've only been a part-time slave.  That means you'd work for someone in the morning but then you would've had the afternoon off to do whatever you want.  Papa is a little darker than you so he would've had to work longer."

"Yea."

"Part-time slaves were easier to free that full-time slaves.  I bet Lincoln was able to free them first so you would've got to free early in the war."

"YEAH!"

"They had to fight the war a long time to free all the full-time slaves."

"But he did it and now all the slaves are free!"

Hmmmm....  Something tells me we have some details to smooth out here...