Conversations Under a Hairdryer

Madeleine was chilly after she took her evening shower, so I decided to blow-dry her hair so that she would warm up before getting into bed. 

While I worked on her hair, she carefully studied a bottle of nail polish that was out on the bathroom counter:

MADELEINE: Wait a minute, Mama.  This says "Essie," not "Aussie."
ME: I know that.  I never said it says "Aussie."
MADELEINE: I know, but that's what *I* thought it said.  (thoughtful) What does "Essie" even mean?  (pondering) Oh!  I get it!  "EASY!"  I was pronouncing it "Essie!"
ME: No, it does say "Essie."  "Easy" is spelled differently.  "Essie" is the name of the company that makes that nail polish.
MADELEINE: But what does "Essie" even MEAN?  It's not even a real word!
ME: I know. It's the name of the company.
MADELEINE: Wait.  *I* know.  Maybe the company is all a company of BABIES, and that's how they pronounce a word, so they named it "Essie" because that's how the BABIES say it.

That MUST be it.

ME: Honey, how would babies start a company?  Or make nail polish?
MADELEINE: Well, maybe the company started out as a BABY NURSERY, and the babies kept saying "Essie" because they couldn't pronounce real words, and then the company started making nail polish, and they named it "Essie" because that's what all the babies used to say.

All right, folks.  Let's just acknowledge that Madeleine is going to be a legit code-cracker when she grows up.  She totally figured out why the company is named "Essie."

A few moments later, I decided that her hair was dry enough.

ME: Okay, your hair is still a little wet, but this should be good enough for sleep.
MADELEINE: Ooh, now it's gonna be all SHINY.  Can I look in the mirror?  (glimpsing her reflection) Ooooh!  It *is* shiny!  I *like* it!  But Mama?  Why does it get shiny after you use the hair dryer?
ME: Well, heat will make your hair smooth and that helps it look shiny.
MADELEINE: But why?
ME: Well, that's just one of the properties of heat.  It smooths things out.  That's why a hot iron will smooth out wrinkles in clothes.
MADELEINE: But Mama.  Why DOES heat do that?
ME: Well, it's just one of heat's properties.
MADELEINE: But Mama?  Do even SCIENTISTS know how heat does that?
ME: Yes.
MADELEINE: (awe-struck) WOW!  And what do they say for how?
ME: Well, like I said, it's just one of heat's properties.  That means that heat has certain ways of acting with various materials.  Heat tends to relax things, so something that's curly or wrinkly will smooth out when you use heat.

Madeleine wasn't buying my explanation.

MADELEINE: Well MAMA.  Maybe it's just because, like, it blows things around and blows things around until it gets all SHINY.

Man.  Schooled once again by my 6-year-old.  Like I said, this kid has got a career ahead of her.  She clearly understands the way the world works.