"When I was a baby"

This posting could just as easily be titled "Car monologues."

Sometimes Noah's cranky or I'm lazy when I get in the car with the boys, so I pop in a Tom Chapin or Disney CD. But sometimes Noah gets on a roll and it's fun to let him talk.

This morning, after we had visited my allergist and were on our way to daycare, was one of those mornings. What follows is an attempt at recreating the free-flowing observations of an almost-three year old:

"When I was a baby and I went to the doctor I would cry and the doctor would say, 'You should not cry,' so I would stop. Now I am big and I get a sticker when I go to the doctor.

"But when I was a baby and I was little and we would go to the doctor I could not play with the toys but now I am big and I can play with the grocery toys and the monster truck and the puzzles. Jonah is a baby and can't play with the toys. He just sleeps.

"But sometimes he cries. When we are eating dinner and he cries I say, 'You should not cry, Jonah. This is not a crying table.' And you say, 'Noah, that is not nice.' But Jonah keeps crying. When I was a baby and I was little, I cried, but now I am big and I don't cry at the dinner table."

[pause]

"S. M. D. U. P. I see a sign. Do you see a sign, Mommy?"

"I see lots of signs," I say, not quite sure what sign he means.

"That is a blue sign with white letters. It has an M. M is for you, Mommy. M is also for Maryland. M. A. R. Y. L. E.[sic] N. D. That spells Maryland."

[then he starts singing]

"Maryland, we're all behind you..."

[stops singing]

"Grandma Rebecca and Grandpa Marc live in Maryland, Mommy. Where are Grandma Rebecca and Grandpa Marc?"

"They're probably at work, sweetie."

"Daddy is at work. He lives downtown. Last Tuesday he used to live in Florida at work, but now he is downtown. When I was a baby and I was little, I lived in Jonah's car seat, but now I am big and I have my own car seat and now Jonah lives in the car seat.

"Mommy, do you see a dreidel?"

"I think that's the Porsche sign on the car dealership, sweetie. But it looks like a dreidel, doesn't it?"

"Yeah. When I was a baby I couldn't play with a dreidel, but now I am big..."

[And so the talk continued. A car ride with Noah can definitely be a trip.]