Why Is the Sky Blue?

... so I always thought this question ("Why is the sky blue?") was figurative. Figurative for the many questions toddlers and preschoolers ask their parents, expecting them to always have the answers omniscient parents should. Also figurative for the response tired parents give to their preschoolers and elementary aged children when they've heard the 257th question of the day and don't want to think hard about what the answer might be and how to phrase it in such a way that their little one can grasp it. Or at least be satisfied with it. :)
But I hadn't quite anticipated being asked that very question, word for word. "Mama, why is the sky blue?" And I especially hadn't expected that it would come completely out of context, on a day when we hadn't spent any considerable time outside at all, when the sky was completely overcast and rainy, and when my daughter was sitting INSIDE, on the Starbucks (ahem, yes) toilet, gazing up at the painted ceiling. "Mama, why is the sky blue?" I had to grin inside, thought for a minute (trying to remember the answer that I had potentially read in some parenting magazine article or book - I mean, what other question would they use as the example question for constant spouts of inquisitiveness?), and then I stammered something about the atmosphere that is around the earth that we live on, and how it looks blue when we look up into it because of the sunlight. Uuuh, I still don't know if that's the correct answer, and I KNOW that the words atmosphere and earth mean nothing to Lucia, and that I was just trying to get her off the pot and back into Starbucks, so I didn't want to think about it much more.
And to make the point (of being able to remember what it's like to have a sweet three-year-old), while I've been writing this the past 5 minutes, I have listened to:
"Mama, what are you schreiben ('writing')?" (- "About the sky. See? 'Why is the sky blue?' ")
"I asked that!!" (- "Yes, you did.")
"What are you doing that for?" (- "So I won't forget some day that you asked that.")
"Are you going to send that to me and you?" (Uuh, not sure, she was probably assuming it's an e-mail. - "Yes, sort of.")
"Mama, why did you push that button?"
"Mama, why did you put a hole there? (i.e. the space between two words.)
"Mama, can I show you something on the computer?" (- "Not right now, it's Mama's turn.")
"Mama, are you done now?" (- "Not yet, please wait patiently.")
"I already waited patiently. Why do I have to wait patiently?" ... I didn't answer right away. Which then caused a "Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why?" to ensue. (- "Because being impatient is impolite and then you can't show me anything on the computer." Then I had to laugh.)
"Mama, why did you laugh?"

etc. etc. etc. And the day is not over yet. ;-) I love my girls.