Neurons flaring like a Christmas tree

One of the great joys of parenthood is watching your child’s mind evolve from poop-eat-sleep to more and more of an individual as each day passes, with her own set of ideas, preferences, and foibles.

Andrea has now officially entered what I like to call the “Dwarves on Acid” stage of toddlerhood. This is where she continually comes up with strange ideas and associations that only rarely intersect for a fleeting moment with what we’d call adult reality.

You get gems like her putting her Lego bucket on her head like a bright yellow Darth Vader helmet, lifting her hands to the sky and yelling, “Happy Birthday!” at the top of her voice for no particular reason whatsoever.

I’m watching and laughing with her and always wondering “What the heck is going on in there?”

It’s great.