The Method Actor

Mornings begin as evenings end, with a book and a cup of milk and some snuggle time. These days we're side-by-side on the couch rather than he in my lap in our rocking chair. There is often as much talking and interacting as one-sided reading now.

This morning we sat down with Richard Scarry's Busy, Busy Town and took up where we left off the night before. After reaching the page about supermarkets, E (and his appetite) were starting to really wake up after a long night's sleep. He pinched his fingers near the picture of the apple bin and offered me an apple. I thanked him, of course, and noisily ate my imaginary snack. We traded back and forth like this for a few minutes; a grape for him, a pineapple for me, a pear for him, and tomato for me. He gladly ate the corn. He even tried the celery. Then, I offered him a radish. He tried it and then cried out "I no yike rad!" He nearly had tears in his eyes. For a few moments, he whimpered and buried into my arm until a tempting strawberry restored his good humor and his interest in paper produce.

(Note: to my knowledge, E has never had nor heard of nor seen a radish. Not a real one anyway.)