Why?

the mind of a 2 year old is one of life's great mysteries. sometimes
each thought reaches its eventual conclusion, but mostly, it just loops
about, sometimes orbiting in the grey spaces, sometimes splintering
into 3 separate threads.

A case in point. Morning. the little
one walks about the room, spies a dropped pine nut from her bread,
picks it up, inserts it into right nostril. Thankfully a) she told me
about it; b)it wasn't too deeplylodged, hence, a pressing on the left nostril with a big quick blow saw the pine nut lunge out and hit the wall.


Most
parents of toddlers know that asking a 2 year old "why did you do
that?" is an exercise in futility, but somehow we never seem to learn
and after yet another mysterious infringement, we (okay, I) will always
ask why. the answer is always the same. "Because." Existentialists can
have a field day with that one.

Another case in point. The same day. Afternoon.I brought the little one for lunch out at T3, Popeye's.
Sat her in a normal chair (not a high-chair anymore, she resents those
now) and we settled down to munch on our deep fried, highcholesterol chicken. A littler one walked past and our chicken muncher nonchalantly
sticks out a leg and almost succeeds in tripping the one year old. No
expression. No look of glee or mischief. No look of horror (That came
from me). It was almost a scientific experiment. What happens when I
stick out my leg when someone walks past? It was only when she saw my
face, that she realised the action was definitely NOT COOL. Before I
could start my lecture probably entitled "Evil", the dear one asked,

"that was naughty?"
Grunt.
"I should apologise".
Grunt.

the
little now contrite one climbs down from her chair, goes about 3 tables
away to the almost-tripped baby and, gasp! apologises to the whole
family for tripping their baby!! I watched this 3 tables away as she
pats the baby's hand, elicits forgiveness, then skips back to me, a
heart lightened by forgiveness.

As I said, the mind of a 2 year old is unfathomable.