Rookie Dad: A conversation about chickens

"Daddy, don't forget to leave my booster seat with Grandma today. I'm going shopping with Grandma and Grandpa."

"Oh, what are you three buying?"

"Grandpa's buying chicks. They go 'cheep, cheep, cheep, cheep'."

"Cool. What's he gonna do with those chicks?"

"Feed 'em. They'll eat out of my hand. They're so cute!"

"What else happens to the little chicks?"

"When they grow up, Grandpa kills them!"

"He does?"

"Yeah, then we eat them."

At this point, The Youngling licked her lips and smacked them, professing her love for tasty chicken as only she can do.

"Daddy, can we have chicks in the back yard?"

"No, we don't have enough room."

"If we did, Daddy, I could kill them with my toy gun if I had a toy gun. Boom! Boom!"

"That's not how it's -- never mind. Put your shirt on."

Rookie Dad: March puddle jumping

Some days with a four year-old are a battle. Some days are frustrating. But there never fails to be a dull moment.

Not long after rolling out of bed on Sunday, The Youngling insisted on heading outside to splash in the puddles. Much like an elephant, she never forgets things like how we bought her a pair of rain boots after much insistence on her part in late January.

So, around 11 AM (or 10 AM, I'm not sure as I only set some of the clocks ahead), with a stiff wind blowing from the north, we made our way down the block. She diligently stopped at every puddle she encountered -- even if it was completely glazed over with ice -- and splashed in it. Remember that it was a balmy 30 degrees at this time and while we were both dressed for the weather, I felt cold for her as her thin legs bounced up and down in those partially frozen puddles.

After two blocks we were both cold but at least she was happy.