In the Eye of the Beholder

Caleb has a toy snake. It's an orange colored, ugly looking thing with fangs, and it is squishy and rubbery in texture, almost like a real snake - at least I think that's what a real snake would feel like, if I ever actually touched and squished one. No, thanks.

The snake looks like a cobra. It's hideous.

Anyway, his father bought it for him. But you already knew that.

I hate that snake, I really do. I try to stay away from it, because it creeps me out just to look at it, much less to touch it, and on the rare occasion that I find the baby with it and must disentangle her chubby little fingers from the snake's squishy body or make her release her teething bite from the snake's fangs, well you can just imagine my JOY.

So this afternoon, I'm picking up the floor a little, and of course there is the snake, and I must touch it now, and it creeps me out yet again, and as I quickly toss it in a bin with the other toys, I can't help myself, but utter: "Eew, I don't like that snake."

Caleb is sitting at the other end of the room, doing one of his activities, but takes notice, looks up and says, "What? What did you say?" And I repeat, "I don't like that snake."

At which he speaks in his bright little voice, defending the shunned toy: "I like that snake! It's beautiful for me!!"

Well, who can argue with that? I guess, it's all in the eye of the beholder.

Morning scene

Daddy is leaving for work.

Caleb: "Bye Daddy, bye-bye!" He scrambles to get his shoes on. "I want to say bye to Daddy."

Sweetie, it's dark outside and raining. Don't go out right now.

He puts on his shoes. Realizing it's raining, he stops in the doorway, in his shoes. Daddy is already at the car.

"Daddy! I have something to say!"

Daddy takes a few steps towards the door...

"Bye Daddy, bye-bye! Are you coming back in a few minutes?"

"Bye-bye, Caleb. I am coming in a few hours."

"Okay, Daddy. Are you bringing hami (food)?"

"Yes, I'll bring hami when I come home."

"Okay. Bye."

"Pray for me."

"Okay, Daddy. And the Play-Dough."
(Every time we pray for Daddy, he adds: "so he comes home and plays Play-Dough with me.")

Satisfied, he takes his shoes off and heads back to play.

Conversation with a two-year-old

"Mommy, do you have csoki (chocolate)?"

"Oh, I don't think so, right now."

"Oh, we do, Mommy. I SHOW YOU! Look, up there!"

"Oh, there... uhm, thank you for showing me."

[He is such a helpful little guy.]

Laughter in the kitchen

We're making a dinner of lamb chops. Ron says, "Maybe we should season it differently tonight." (Our usual is garlic, salt, pepper, olive oil.)

Ten minutes later, it's time to season the lamb. I absentmindedly grab the cinnamon, and am ready to sprinkle just as Ron walks into the kitchen.

He says, "What's that?"
"Garlic." - I glance at it. "Oh no, it's cinnamon."
"I asked for different, not crazy."

***

I'm washing dishes. Ron walks into the kitchen excitedly exclaiming:

"You found grease and I found turkey!"

"Huh?"

My mind is in the kitchen. I try to piece together the story. He just came from the living room... and he's reporting that there's grease there AND turkey?

Grease, okay, we do have a 2-year-old, but... turkey??? When was the last time we ate turkey?!

Thanksgiving turkey?!!?

At last, he provides the context I am missing:

"Caleb's puzzle. You found Greece. And I just found Turkey. The missing pieces?"

"Oh."

***