Explaining Why

The setting: My friend's apartment (same building) upstairs late yesterday afternoon.
The character: Samuel "Why" Thomas
The action: Peeing in the potty

I am sitting on my friend's couch chatting away when Samuel comes up and says, "Mommy? Can you unbuckle my belt? I really have to go potty!" I unbuckle his belt and help open the bathroom door, etc. A couple of minutes pass and I hear a shuffling noise and see my friend Jennifer, who is facing the bathroom, smile and cover her mouth. I look over and see Samuel shuffling out with his pants and underwear down around his ankles. I got up and herded him into the bathroom.
"Samuel, you need to pull your pants up before you come out of the bathroom!"
"Why, mommy?"
"Because people don't want to see your bottom!" (even if it is the cutest little 3 yr old tushy you've ever seen!)
"But why don't people want to see my bottom?"
"Because...they just don't! It's a private thing!"
"Why?"
"Why? Because....because it is!"
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Setting: Bedtime, all 4 of us situated on mommy and daddy's bed
Character: Zakkai "One-Volume" Thomas
Action: Reading stories

So, lately we have been really trying, even more than usual, to make bedtime a calming experience because the boys (especially the littlest one) have been kind of wild and stay up too late giggling. So we get them all dressed in jammies and speak in really hushed tones and stay really calm, hoping it will also settle the boys down (yeah right!). Samuel gets it. He whispers or talks really quietly but Zakkai....

We were reading stories softly and Samuel was interjecting with soft questions occasionally (usually "why" questions;).
Daddy: Can you see where the mommy tiger is hiding?
Samuel: (softly) She's hiding in the grass!"
Daddy: That's right! And there's the baby tiger sleeping
Zakkai: DAT'S THE BABY TIGER SEEPING!
Mommy and Daddy: Shhhh! Let's whisper!
Zakkai: WHIPPER! (whisper) WHERE, WHERE THE MOMMY TIGER GO?"
Daddy: (whispering) The mommy tiger is hiding in the grass. Let's talk quietly. It's na-night time.
Zakkai: NO WHIPPER! NO NA-NIGHT TIME!

Seriously! This child is super loud and we can't figure out how to fix his volume button! If I didn't know better, I would almost suspect he had a hearing problem that makes him yell! And as I sit here and write: Zakkai is screaming at Samuel. Sigh....