He inhabits a different plane

The elementary schooler asked me today why they are so few black jaguars in the world. I began very authoritatively that there are two main reasons: first, that their habitat has been compromised; and second, that they are different from ordinary jaguars. I was headed in the direction that they are a different, rarer mutation of the ordinary jaguar color. D, however, had his own supposition:

"Oh, so are they, like, robot jaguars?"

As I dissolved in laughter, he continued, "Oh, I mean, are they controlled by god?"

O, to exist in a world in which these are the logical conclusions...

Culinary adventures in toddlerland

I put Nutella on a rice cake for the toddler today to keep her occupied so I could have a conversation with her father over lunch. She was not impressed that we had schlepped it across an ocean or two for her and summarily dismissed it as inedible. As we ignored her, however, she must have gotten some on her fingers and then accidentally into her mouth because we suddenly realized she was repeating, "Oh, I like the brown stuff, I like the brown stuff!"