A whirlwind conversation
Ava helped me unload the dishwasher last night -- she's always trying to be helpful. We had a nice father-daughter talk as we put the dishes away. I wanted to remember it, so I wrote it down while it was fresh in my memory. It went like this:
Me: Thank you for helping me, Ava.
Ava: Where's mama?
Me: She went to work, remember?
Ava: Don't worry, Papa. She'll be back later.
Me: Yep, later tonight.
Ava: I'm a truuuuue princess.
Me: Yes you are.
Ava: Don't forget your life jacket.
Me: What?
Ava: So we can be safe.
Me: Yes, that's important isn't it? ...Say, give me that knife, sweetie, it's very sharp. Be careful! (she hands me a steak knife) Thank you.
Ava: You're welcome. Good manners, Papa.
Me: Thanks, Ava.
Ava: Ummm... Papa?
Me: Yes?
Ava: I don't wanna go potty.
Me: Well, you don't have to go if you don't need to go.
Ava: Okay. (a brief moment of silence) ...Papa?
Me: Yes?
Ava: Can we have costumes?
Me: Costumes?
Ava: Hado-ween.
Me: Halloween costumes?
Ava: Yeth. I'm a pirate! (squishes up face) Arrrrr!
Me: Well, Halloween is over, sweetie. Now we have to get ready for Thanksgiving.
Ava: Yanksgiving?
Me: Yes, with pilgrims and turkeys.
Ava: (wrinkles nose) I don't like turkeys.
Me: You don't like turkeys?
Ava: I never, never like turkeys. (shakes head vigorously)
Me: Why not?
Ava: (wrinkles nose again) They're stinky.
Me: You think turkeys are stinky?
Ava: Ish!
Me: Well, what do you like?
Ava: Um.... I like.... I like apples.
Me: Apples? I've never seen you eat an apple!
Ava: I never eat apples.
Me: But they taste so good. You should try them.
Ava: Where's Grandma?
Me: Grandma is at her house.
Ava: Where's Grandpa?
Me: He's home with Grandma.
Ava: Eating chicken?
Me: They might be.
Ava: Playing puzzles?
Me: Could be.
Ava: Oh.
Me: Ava, please don't stick the dog with the fork. Can you give me the fork? (dog scrampers out of the kitchen)
Ava: That's okay, it was an accident.
Me: No, it wasn't an accident. You were sticking the dog with the fork.
Ava: It's my fork!
Me: Give me the fork, please.
Ava: Good manners, Papa. (she hands me the fork)
Me: Thank you.
Ava: (twirls in a circle) Papa, look at me!
Me: Wow!
Ava: I'm a mermaid!
Me: Really?
Ava: Yeth. I am booty-ful.
Me: Yes, you are beautiful.
Ava: Papa?
Me: Yes?
Ava: Wanna go swimming with me?
Me: It's too cold to go swimming.
Ava: Oh.
Me: Ava, don't stick the spoon in your mouth. That was clean.
Ava: Yogurt tastes so goooood!
Me: Let's put the spoon in the sink. We'll have to wash it again.
Ava: Applesauce! Graham crackers! (makes a slurping sound, licks the spoon)
Me: Come on, Ava. Put the spoon in the sink, please.
Ava: (she skips to the sink, drops in the spoon) Good job!
Me: Yes, that was a good job.
Ava: (very brief moment of silence) Papa?
Me: Yes?
Ava: It's snowing!
Me: Yes, it snowed today, didn't it?
Ava: Yeth. I wanna wanna wanna make a snowman.
Me: We don't have enough snow yet, Ava.
Ava: I want... I want....
Me: Yes?
Ava: I want jammies with white polka dots.
Me: Wha- (I stop what I doing) You want what?!
Ava: (gallops out of the kitchen) C'mon Dora! Vamanos amigos!
Me: Um.... (holding a plate in my hand) Thank you for helping.
And the adventure continues.
