My 3-year-old came out of his bedroom last night, not long after he was put to bed.   His standard excuse of “needing to pee” was no surprise, but the hard-hat he was wearing had me utterly flummoxed.   As he trotted by I raised an eyebrow to my husband with a hushed “What’s the hat for?”   He whispered back that he’d suggested it to assuage the fears coming from the “ceiling might fall in some day because the crack over there is getting bigger” discussion that I’d faintly overheard at bedtime.  We live in an old house, older brothers ask lots of questions, and little brothers interpret them more dramatically.   I had to turn my head away to hide the shaking of my shoulders as I found the entire situation hilarious.   I wasn’t terribly sympathetic, I confess, just amused.