He's a nice kid, if he would just stop pillaging and burning villages

Jack was very pleased to come home and inform me that he had made a new friend in his religious education class. Jack makes friends easily, so it wasn't particularly surprising. But, it is always nice to hear anyway.

Eric prompted him, "Tell Mommy what your friend is named."

"Leif!" exclaimed Jack. Though, in his mind, I suspect it looked more like "Leaf!"

Then he continued, "You know, Mom. Like a leaf on a tree?" He proceeded to make a motion with his arms to depict a leaf hanging on a tree, as if this was a foreign concept to me that would need not only a regular explanation, but a visual one at that.

"That's pretty cool, Jack. Leif, huh?"

And, then with deadpan delivery, Eric looked me in the eyes and calmly said, "Yeah, his last name is Erickson."

We stared at each other with serious faces for just a moment before we both burst into laughter. We then had to treat each other to a bevy of Viking and explorer jokes.

I think Jack thought we were insane. I just hope that he doesn't go to religious education next week and ask if Leif's last name is actually Erickson.

But, more importantly, if he does, I hope that Leif doesn't mention it to his Mom. Because, quite frankly, I'm used to being looked at like I'm insane at home. But, I like to play up the mild-mannered housewife persona at church.