Messy Eaters
My daughter, handing me her T. Rex puppet: “Mommyo, will you tie this bib on the T-Rex? You have to put bibs on them before they…
In which my daughter negotiates her first hourly rate
Preschooler, evaluating whether or not she’d like to volunteer with her mother at the local animal shelter:
“Will they pay us in free kittens?”
Dreams
Father to preschooler who has woken up crying in the night: “Did you have a bad dream?”
Preschooler: “It was a very disappointing dream. It was winter and all the flowers were gone.”
In which my daughter explores the cosmetic benefits of a good hot shower
Preschooler, who has been allowed to stay up far too late so that she can finish cutting out the stars for the American flag she is…
My daughter’s first poem
Composed after watching the Dinosaur Train episode “Campout”, which features Patricia Palaeobatrachus: Palaeobatrachus, Palaeobatrachus, Ribbit, Ribbit, What are you doing, Talking about us?
In which my daughter plans to move south for the summer
Preschooler, suffering through a heat wave with only spotty access to air conditioning, on hearing that most homes in Texas have central air: “I guess I’ll…
The Rules of Bike Riding
Father, preparing to allow his only child to ride a two-wheeled bike for the first time: “What are the rules of bike riding?”
Daughter: “No falling.”
In which my daughter gives some much needed encouragement
Last weekend, while we were picking raspberries at Monadnock Berries in New Hampshire, one of the bushes committed a vicious assault upon my husband, leaving him…
In which my daughter makes an educated guess about freeways
Preschooler, as mother drives onto the on-ramp for I-95:
“Mommyo, is this the freeway?”
Preschooler, a bit later:
“Does freeway mean there is no speed limit?”
In which my daughter lays eggs
Preschooler, rushing into mother’s room: “Mommyo! Mommyo! I just laid some eggs in the bathroom!”
Mother: “How’d that go for you?”
Preschooler: “Great! I’ll have even more kittens soon!”
CATERPICKLES 