today something clicked at the grocery store

Until now, Sophie's never asked for anything at the grocery store except free samples. But lately, it's all changed. I must say, she doesn't so much ask for things as ask what they are or tell us what they are, like, "Oh, that's ice cream!" and "That's popsicles!" Later she pointed out some M&M's and ratted me out to her father for giving her some. She said it was on Monday when I gave her some, I think it was more like last Halloween. I caved in and said she can have some for Easter. Then later she noticed the kids' yogurt and noted the lovely cupcakes over at the bakery while waiting for the deli meat. Yogurt, ok, fine; cupcakes, no way!

On a similar note, she's figured out how to open the refrigerator door. She thought she was sly when she opened the door, grabbed some broccoli and ate it quickly. Then just to test our reaction, she repeated herself. In case I wasn't shocked enough by her deviant behavior, she showed me her mouth full of broccoli. I feigned disbelief to her delight.

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Lessons in capitalism

Sophie does not quite understand the basics of monetary exchange.

This morning we played store in her room. I was told to buy something.

"What you want to buy? You can buy anything!"

I selected an Elmo doll.

"Okay, how much moneys you want?"

Somewhat bemusedly, I suggested one dollar.

"One. Dollar." she said and handed over a Sponge Bob Buck.

On the next exchange, I suggested that I give her the money in exchange for the merchandise. She would have none of it, and indeed seemed hurt that I would mess up the game like this.

Next I got a lego block and a credit card in exchange for . . . the honor of doing business with me, I guess.

Doing it wrong

On the way to the gym (where they've got child minders to watch your kids while you exercise) she asked me, "Daddy, you got something for me?"

"No, goose, I don't"

"You don't have something for me? You go to gym you got to have something for me!"

Which is something her mother does, having a snack for her, but I'd forgotten. So we ended up in the café next door after I'd worked out, eating a cookie and then having a little lunch. (I got it backwards there,...)

In a similar vein, yet somehow infinitely more heartrending, she greeted me this morning with: "Daddy, you didn't check on me. Why you didn't check on me?"

Ever since the binkie went away, she's been a bit more difficult to get to sleep at night. Her mother can be in there with her for ages, before slipping out with a promise to check on her in a few minutes. I try to skip to this point as directly as possible, promising to check on her in thirty minutes. In the past few nights she's bargained me down to two. And if she falls asleep before I get back, so much the better. But apparently she's been keeping track.

Tonight I was back in there right on time, after three minutes. She's already asleep. (She didn't have a nap today, which may be why). Hopefully I won't be penalized for this tomorrow.

We were there for the oat-ring brand cereal

She saw the Trix cereal in the supermarket today.

"What dat?!" she asked.

I ushered her into the next aisle. Which was filled with Easter candy.

"What dat?!!!" she asked.

I sighed. "That's for Easter," I told her.

"Dat for Easter?" she asked. And then:

"Daddy, you go down that aisle?"

Somewhere along the way, she's learned the word "aisle."

Weisheiten in der Wanne

In the tub tonight she held her plastic dinosaur by the tail and tapped it on the edge of the tub.

"Dis pooping now, dis poop like dis!"

"What?!" I said, "The dinosaur is pooping?"

"Yes, dis dinosaur poop like dis on her tail. Dat's how she poop!"

"She poops while balancing on her tail?"

"Yes. Dat how dinosaurs do dat."

"Wow, I didn't know that."

"You no know dat how dinosaurs do dat?!"

She grinned, turned her head, and looked at me sideways, in an aspect of wry amusement, as if to say, oh Daddy, how silly you are at times.

Make-up

The playground across the street is covered in shredded tires to provide a bouncy surface for kids to fall on.

Sophie grabbed a tire chip the other day and began moving it in front of her eyelids and lips.

"Dis my make-up!" she said.

I, I don't even have the vaguest idea where she might have come across this idea. School?

I asked her if the teachers wore make-up.

"Noooooo!" she said, and dissolved into peals of laughter.