My Little Maverick

OK. I’m not one of those parents who think their kid is the first in the universe to ever say or do something cute… and I am definitely NOT going to turn this blog into a “you’ll never guess what my kid said” daily update. However, I do believe, at 4 1/2 years of age, my son has developed quite the sense of humor and wanted to at least get one post out there in the universe attesting to this fact.

Yesterday, as the sun was just coming up – somehow, kids always get up far too early on the weekends, yet need to be dragged from their beds when it’s a school day – while sitting downstairs waiting for my wife to join us, the little one sat next to me and said he was hungry. I asked him what he wanted for breakfast, and he said “eggs and biscuits,” his favorite morning meal. I went to get up to make it, and he stopped me…

“Don’t go, Daddy.”

“Why not?”

“I want Mommy to make breakfast.”

“Mommy’s still sleeping. I’ll start it.”

“No… Eggs and biscuits taste better when Mommy makes it.”

“Does anything taste better when Daddy makes it?”

Pause.

Long pause.

Really long pause.

“I love you, Daddy... Look over there…”

And off he ran to wake his mother.

Hurt feelings aside, I love that he has developed a sense of comic timing. Last year during the election season, we tried to keep him somewhat aware of the Presidential race, and once the votes were in, took great pride over the next few days in being able to "show him off" by asking him to tell people who the President was. He’d strongly proclaim, “Barack Obama” and family members would be impressed at his knowledge of current events.

As time went by, though, and these other family members started to ask him to perform this dog and pony show for their friends, and the response started to diminish in exuberance, it was clear he was no longer interested in being our little puppet.

So, several months later, when yet another relative, who hadn't yet seen the show, “pimped him” by asking if knew who the President was, my future stand-up was ready with a brand new answer that got him that big reaction that he had been craving…

“Not John McCain, that's for sure.”