Mama? Mama? You know... Mama?

I actually thought about counting the number of times I hear "Mama?" in a day, but that seemed too daunting so I thought I could do a minute-by-minute average, but I lost focus.  Lately it seems like I'm hearing "Mama?" more than ever!  Every sentence, every observation, every utterance seems to start, or just be  "Mama?"  Over and over and over.  Sometimes, many times, my patience wears and I slip and say, "What?!?!"  

I try to remember that most of the time he is not actually going to ask me anything or tell me anything, he's just checking to make sure I'm still tuned into him.  Actually, a lot of the time he says, "Mama?" or "Mama?  You know..." and then nothing comes after it.  Or he says, "Mama?" and after I say the obligatory, "Yes?" I can hear his brain churning as he tries to think of something to follow up with.  

"Mama?"  

"Yes?"  

"You know.... this is a fun thing.  I like this thing."  

Or, "Mama?"  

"Yes?" 

"It's dark outside.  Why is it dark?"

Today school was cancelled because Miss Wendy, the one-woman show, had to tend to a sick daughter, but tomorrow I look forward to a little break from the "Mama?" drip.  It is... It's like a drippy faucet.  Much of time you don't even notice it and then, all of a sudden, it drives you absolutely batty.