Not Only Are There Opinions, but They Are Complex

This morning we were out the door early. I was off to the orthodontist's in Seattle so The Boy was off to Grandma's.

Still in his jammies and tucked into the car seat with a mug of milk, he chimes in to my morning reverie.

"News (NPR was on) is Daddy's favorite."

Yes.

"Abba Dabba (Honeymoon) my favorite."

Yes, it is. (I know. I know.)

"Listen to Abba Dabba."

Yeah, okay.

"Mama sing not."

Right.

Having cleared up the music issue, The Boy moved on to future concerns.

"Get on bus. See Buffalo." (We went to Northwest Trek in ... April? I didn't think he was paying attention to the buffalo, but apparently he was. How do they remember this stuff?)

The stock answer of late has been, "When Nonnie gets here, we'll ride the bus and see the buffalo."

As I took breath for the rote answer The Boy jumps in: "Wait for Nonnie not. Get on bus. Go see buffalo today."

Wow.

I've been told that there are developmental "bursts" where kids synthesize mental (vocabulary) and motor (speaking) skills seemingly overnight. Since he wasn't talking like this yesterday, I'd say "bursts" are a fact.

Hidden in the Brush Mower

Matt was out working on the brush mower with The Boy while I went to get a pizza (dinner was a failure — don't ask).

My return was greeted by the announcement, "Brush mower has nose goblins. Come out."

Oh. Really.

Tell me more.

Matt had got into the bearing and taken out the old grease. Quite nose goblin-y.

Now they're out there "polishing" the brush mower while I clean up my dinner disaster.

Daddy Do ... ?

This morning while I was dressing The Boy, I got the plaintive question I get every morning: "Daddy downstairs?" (Such a wistful, little voice.)

And, as it is five days out of seven, the answer is, "Daddy is at work. He'll be home at dinner time."

This morning, though, the question went further. "Daddy at work do ... ? Daddy at work do ... ?"

[He looks so intense when he is trying out new words or concepts. It looks like he's 1) not asking it right and 2) is concerned whether you will understand.]

I hadn't planned my answer to what Matt does at work but I gave it a shot.

"Daddy listens to people's problems and tells them how to fix it."

The Boy thought for a while and declared, "I help Daddy."

Well, yes, you can help when you're older. But for now, you can help him best at home.

"I have tools and hammer!"

Yes, you do. Those are very helpful for Daddy and I.

"I help mow grass!"

Yes.

"I brush mow!"

And the list went on and on. Turns out there's a lot of things he can do.