Teasing

How much they understand is surprising sometimes.

Now, you must understand that Daddy teases Tahlia a great deal. Well, Daddy actually teases everyone a great deal, probably more than he should. Someday, Daddy will age past sixteen and actually start acting like an adult. At that time, he most likely will also enter a coffin; hopefully, therefore, this transition will not be for a long time.

But he does tease a lot. More often than not, as Daddy states something with his deadpan face, Mommy intercedes to say, "Tahlia, Daddy is teasing you."

We've never really explained teasing. So many times when Tahlia comes in contact with a new phrase or situation, she wants it explained. She, being two, doesn't come out and ask, she just keeps asking us to retell a story, or keeps asking us why until we figure out how to correctly answer her question. Even though we haven't explained teasing, she has come to figure it out. Most likely because of the number of times Mommy has said the above mentioned statement.

An example might be during breakfast. She may have asked for pancakes and, so, Daddy made pancakes. After one serving, Tahlia might ask for one more pancake, and Daddy might tell her that he has eaten all of the pancakes forever and there never will be any pancakes ever again.

Ok, I have to stop for a second. I just read what I wrote. Yes, I'll admit, this is the type of thing that I might say to her. Yes, taken out of context, as I believe my telling you in this writing is out of context, it does sound a little harsh. Maybe harsh isn't the right word. Maybe mean or cruel . . . ferocious, savage . . . vicious. But you have to understand, it is all int good fun. I mean, she understands. Doesn't she understand? She doesn't understand, does she?

Ok, but the point is I've taught her what teasing is.

So, I've viciously attached my child's psyche by making her believe there is a blight on pancake mix and Armageddon is just around the corner. I've crippled her spirit by having her believe that no longer will there be yummy breakfast meals, but, from this moment on, we most likely will only eat cardboard.

She doesn't cry, mind you, she just looks at me with, what I would like to think is a budding sense of humor. Others might call it horror. And, so, Mommy intervenes, "Tahlia, Daddy is only teasing. Here is another pancake." Thus, making the world a safe place for all breakfast foods and the possibility of all breakfast foods again.

But today, Daddy is at work, and Mommy is at home. They are eating lunch, and there are the loud noises coming from outside that denote a construction site. The loud booms of two ton tailgates colliding with the hard steel of the massive truck beds resound throughout the neighborhood and the house. They are punctuated with the sudden zip of the engines roar as large machinery move about.

Tahlia cocks her head to listen. Wonder is evident on her face. "Mommy, what is that?"

Mommy listens for a second and then replies, "It's trucks and scoopers. It's a construction site."

Tahlia cocks her head the other way to peer up into Mommy's face. Then, a smile steals across her face. She knows her sounds and that isn't the sound of trucks and scoopers. "Mommy, you teasing me; that is thunder." And her smile widens.

Maybe it is time to explain teasing.