A whirlwind conversation

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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.

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