We're All Getting Lumps of Coal This Year

Lately, whenever S or I mention "winter", "snow", or anything related to the period between September and March, Ms Z immediately responds, "I...don't...like...Santa...Claus."

As part of our ongoing experiment in St Nick Desensitization, we were looking at old Christmas photos on Flickr.

We'd say, "Hey Look! It's you in a Santa Claus hat!" We'd all laugh. Fun.

Anyway, something triggered her phobia, and like a flash: "I DON'T LIKE SANTA CLAUS!!"

"Well, that's fine. Why don't we just not invite Santa Claus? He usually delivers presents at night while we're asleep anyway."

"NO! He'll wake us up!"

"I don't think so, honey. He's usually pretty quiet."

"He's always yelling, 'HO HO HO!!!'"

In Touch With Our Emotions...

So Ms Z was angry at me because I wouldn't give her Mac & Cheese for dinner. While my back was turned, she spilled a big glass of water--unclear whether by accident or on purpose.

So I looked at her for a moment and said, "I think that was naughty."

She looked kind of taken aback, then said, "Why do you say that? I don't like it when you say that!" And started a minor tantrum.

So I turned back around and kept making dinner. After a while she calmed down a bit, and we ate dinner together.

Later that night in the bath, she said, "Papa. I *hate* when you say I'm naughty."

I said, "I know, honey. I don't like saying it either."

"I hate it. It makes me mad. And it makes me confused."

Can't wait to see what the "Three's" are going to be like...

Ya Big Ape!

Giving Ms Z a bath the other night, and not wanting to get my clothes soaked, I was wearing boxers.

"Put a shirt on!"

"Excuse me?"

"Put a shirt on, please."

"Ok, I'll go ahead and do that, since you asked so politely."

I get up, grab a shirt from my room, come back, and sit down.

"Button it up!"

Me, laughing: "Why do you want me to button it up?"

"You look like a gorilla."

Zola reflects on cats

Driving down the road one day, I spot a guy walking his cat down the street on a leash and point it out to Z. She responds that that's not a big deal and that cats love to walk on a leash. When I tell her that I don't think they're usually big fans of the practice she says, "Well, not at first. But eventually they do. Eventually cats love to walk on a leash."

Road tripping through California

So as we were leaving L.A., Zola was pretty tired, irritable and hungry. I ran into Trader Joe's to get her some food while Ian entertained her in the car. I also grabbed her a balloon, as she loves getting balloons any time Ian runs to the grocery store.

After she ate, we agreed quietly in the front seat that we wouldn't engage with her so that she might eventually fall asleep.

From the backseat, Zola kept trying to get our attention asking lots of questions. My favorite one was, "Mama, our those mountains over there supposed to be my mountains?" Ahhh, the self-absorption of a toddler.

But it got funnier. "Mama, mama, mama ... MAMA! This balloon is driving me nuts."