Am I Hot?

Our oldest child Emily Joy, is now 8 and has officially entered what the experts call "middle childhood". I call it "The time that the innocence we are all born with begins to collide with life". Now that Em is in 3rd grade the boyfriend talk has begun to fly. It's pretty typical of what I remember from 3rd grade - you know - you declare to your BFF that you "like" so-and-so and with that declaration so-and-so becomes your official boyfriend (OK - maybe it was also kind of like that in Jr. High, High School and College too. The joys of being a girl). However, I can't help but notice Emily's boy-talk terminology is a lot more sophisiticated than mine was at that age. For instance, Emily and her friends have taken to describing certain boys as "hot". This has been a little concerning to me as that seems a little, uh, advanced for a little girl, but, the following conversation Emily had with her cousin Kaden, who is in 2nd grade, kind of put things in perspective: (Yes, I did shamelessly evesdrop)
Emily: All of the girls in my class like Beck and want him to be their boyfriend.
Kaden: I don't like it when girls like me.
Emily: Well, then you are going to hate 3rd grade.
Kaden: Why?
Emily: Because all the girls like the hot boys in 3rd grade.
Kaden: (pause) Am I hot?
Emily: Just wait.
There you go - innocence and life - BAM!