Noah P. Can Moo, Can You?

No!

"Do you want some water, Noah?"

"No!"

"Do you want to go upstairs?"

"No!"

"Would you like some grapes?"

"No!"

Yes, he does. In fact he wants three helpings of grapes, with slugs of water in between, but why should that deprive him of the pleasure of saying no? Noah has discovered defiance. What's worse, it suits him. Meshes with his whole look. He's evaded a haircut for so long that we might have to just get him a skateboard instead. I can see it now. He could strap on his shades and shred it at Rittenhouse Square, tossing off a few Nos for the cops to chew on. Then he'd cruise home and tell me what I can do with my question about bath time.



But there's a disadvantage to being 19 months old. Your parents can still dress you up in adorable sweaters, and let's see you try pull off that defiant act with a fuschia collar around your neck, big shot. In fact, I think it's time to get over here and trim those bangs. And what's that? You'd like to go upstairs and read a story? Did I hear a please?

I'm a Cob Man

Remembering summer...

The Beach

You might think that yelling red-faced at the ocean is something only crazy old men do. You would be wrong.

The first time we sat Noah down at the water's edge last week, his initial reaction was glee. The waves splashed against his legs and he couldn't get enough of it.

Then, he literally couldn't get enough of it: it was low tide falling, and a few waves in a row failed to reach his anchorage in the sand.

He pointed. He grimaced. He shouted at the inexorable sea. He wailed.

He turned toward his mother with a gesture of outrage. Make the waves come back! I want those waves now!

When we actually took him out deep, we knew we had a terminal case. The kid found nirvana. He couldn't have been happier if he'd been eating blueberries with one hand, raspberries with the other, and petting a dog with both. Unless perhaps if he'd managed to wriggle out of his diaper right before that trifecta, the better to pee in mid-air as the dog licked his face.