January 14, 2004 - Wednesday
"Daddy?" says Jeremy.
"Yes, Jeremy?" I answer.

"Daddy?" he says again after a moment.
"What is it, Jeremy?"

"Daddy, mitten," that again after a short delay.
"What's wrong with your mitten, Jeremy?"

"Daddy?"
"Jeremy, I'm driving the car, I can't help you with your mitten right now."

"Daddy."
"What is it, Jeremy?
"Uhn," he says with toddler urgency.
"I don't know what 'uhn' means, Jeremy, you need to use words."
"Uhn," he says a little loud.
"I can see you, Jeremy. I don't know what 'uhn' means," I say, a little louder.

"Daddy, mitten," he says with the todder whine.
"OK, that's enough, Jeremy, I'm driving the car and I can't help you with your mitten right now."

"Daddy?" says Harry after a moment.
"Yes, Harry?" I answer, now calmly again.
"Why did you yell at Jeremy?"
"Jeremy was asking the same question over and over and I told him that I couldn't help him because I'm driving the car. Usually when you say the same thing over and over like that it starts to be nasty. So, Jeremy was starting to be nasty." Harry's question had me a bit taken aback, but as I got going the explanation seemed to make some sense.

"Daddy," says Harry after a thoughtful pause.
"Yes, Harry?"
"When you yell it hurts my ears."

Damn.


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