The darnest things

Because I do try to show my son I care about what he likes even though cars generally bore me to death (red vintage ones excepted, obviously!) , the other day while the TV was on I asked him with a mock clueless tone: "LP, what's that ad about?" And as I fully expected him to reply: "Des autos!" (Cars!), he actually said: "Chevrolet!"

When I happily announced to him that his grandpa M, my dad, would be staying over with us this weekend (it's my nephew's first birthday), he started to look a little worried. Then, he assuredly said: "But not in my bed! That bed is mine!"

This whole assertiveness is very big, right now. When he wants something, he doesn't ask so much as he declares it. For instance, while negotiating his bedtime, he'll go, with his little index finger pointing: "Encore un épisode de Bob the Builder, ensuite une dernière histoire, puis je vais dans mon lit. Ça marche?" (One more Bob the Builder episode, then one more story, then I'll go in my bed. Is that working for you?) Don't worry, we let him know who's really the boss. But we find it hard not to crack up.

His new affectionate nickname for me (always said while giggling): Ugly face.

Last night while he was running up and down the hallway, he stopped long enough to tell me: "Regarde maman, j'ai des belles espadrilles pour courir!" (Look mommy, I have nice sneakers on to run!) "Mhh, no you don't, you're only wearing socks!" He paused, looked at me with just this slightly irritated air to him, then said, in a tone you would use for someone who's a little slow: "On fait semblant...!" (We're pretending...)

The other day, I took him to a kids' clothing store to buy him a winter hat. We were in a hurry and I wanted it to be really in and out, but he was in a shopping mood. As I went through the racks, he disappeared for a second and came back with a sweater. "This one's really cool, mommy!" (It wasn't.) "Hm, yeah, but it's too big." So he went to put it back and brought another one from the same pile (it was still no). Hat in hand on our way to the cash register, he then made me stop, grabbed another sweater, then held the hanger so it covered his torso and said, dead serious: "Celui-là qu'est-ce que t'en penses?" (What do you think of this one?) Which, after I stopped rolling on the floor laughing, made me realize this is exactly what I do and what I look like when we shop.

Silly humor is just the ticket. On TV, in movies, in his books, he keeps noticing senseless or impossible things, and keeps repeating them to us like jokes that kinda lack a final punch, laughing like a tiny mad man. "Does that make sense, someone eating rocks? Noooo!!!" (Shrek 3). It is possible, a lady sitting on yogurt? Nooo!!!" (Yoplait Source ad). "Does that exist, a banana-shaped car? Of course not!" (Busytown book)...