Conversations with Tessie

Hello -- Tessie's Mom here. Long-time reader, first-time blogger. (I'll be chipping in from time to time.)

Most of my own travels with Tessie consist of our daily commute to work and daycare, respectively. But even that routine drive along the surface streets of the San Gabriel Valley takes on new meaning with a toddler in the car. Topics of "conversation" range from the mundane to the sublime...

Observations and color commentary

Is every small child fascinated by large vehicles? I never realized how many garbage trucks drove the streets every day till Tessie started pointing out each and every one of them. And thank goodness there's a fire station en route so that I can virtually guarantee at least two fire truck sightings each day!

Other exciting sights are parks and schoolyards ("Swings! Slides! I want to go swings slides.")

Then there are traffic lights: "Red light STOP! Green light GO!" and, more recently, "Red light is on top. Green light on the bottom." "Where is the green arrow? There's only a red arrow. I want to see a green arrow!" Me too, kid. Me too.

Recaps, reflections and recollections:

Tessie is beginning to give meaningful -- and possibly even accurate -- answers to questions like "What did you do today?" When the answer is "ate snack" or "played with toys" or "read books," chances are it really happened. More specific answers ("We painted with yellow paint!") are often corroborated by teachers' accounts and/or incontrovertible physical evidence (where else would that yellow paint on her clothes have come from?).

More remarkable to me is her ability to reflect on what's making her upset, or recall something that did. One day, a bird got into the day care building and it took some time for the staff to get it back out; Tessie's teacher said that this brought Tessie to tears. For the next few weeks, she would remind me, apropos of nothing, "I cried about the bird. He wants his mommy and daddy." (I'm expecting to hear a lot of "I cried about the chocolate cupcake" during this week's commutes.)

Metaphysical questions

Yes, it's begun. The dreaded "Why?" phase.

"Where are we going, mommy?"

"Home."

"Why?"

"Because it's time for dinner."

"Why?"

"Because it's dark outside."

"Why?"

"Because the earth rotates around its axis and the sun is on the other side."

"Why?"

"Umm...."

Songs and soliloquys

Sometimes I have no idea what Tessie's saying as she rambles on happily to herself. But if I listen closely, I recognize phrases from various songs. (Melody is not her strong suit, making her renditions a little Shatneresque.) She recites old standards ("Twinkle Twinkle Little Star," "Wheels on the Bus"), songs new to me ("Slippery Fish", "Buenos Dias" sung to the tune of "Frère Jacques"), and, my personal favorite, a variant of a classic:

Row, row, row your boat

Gently down the stream

Ha, ha, fooled you!

I'm a submarine.

Out of the mouths of babes

Loyal blog readers know of Tessie's fascination with trains. Apparently her experiences in Europe left quite an impression on our California girl. The first day back from Copenhagen, as I drove Tessie to day care, she had two things to say:

"Where is the train?" and

"Everybody's driving!"

Indeed. Nobody walks (or bikes, or takes the train) in L.A.