Patience and I had this discussion the other day about taking the Christmas light tour.  You know the one.  You drive around in the neighborhood looking for the Griswald-y-est house with the most amount of lights and as the kids "oooo" and "ahhhh," you as adults discuss amongst yourselves what kind of craziness drives someone to do this every year and exactly what do you think their light bill is for the months of November and December anyway.  And why are the 6 foot Nutcrackers part of the Nativity scene, peering over Joseph's shoulder?

Pache mentioned that she HATES the Christmas light tour because her kids really don't like to be in the car.  I wasn't sure how Ethan would be but when he started to hyperventilate at the neighbor's lights next door (and can you turn those DAMN things off late at night because they are wrecking my sleep!  I don't even care if you leave them up for 2 years like you did the last time you put them up), we hopped in the truck for a ride.  You would have thought we handed Ethan a toddler spoon and a 1/2 gallon of chocolate ice cream and said "go for it, babycakes."  He went crazy.  "Light, light, light, light. WWWWOOOOOWWWWW, light."  Emotionally gratifying, this kid.  But now it's hilarious.

As we drove to the store the other night.

E:  CACA, Daddy.
D:  You're welcome, Ethan.  But I don't know what you are thanking me for.
E:  Caca, Daddy.  Light.
D:  I think he thinks we are taking him on the neighborhood Christmas light drive.
K:  We are.  The tour that surprisingly follows the path directly to the store.
E:  Caca, Daddy, Caca (in the sweetest voice you have ever heard).
K:  OMG, we are the worst parents in America.  Can you hear the gratitude in his voice that not only have we taken him out of the house, we have arranged for our neighbors to decorate for his enjoyment?

He has now taken to saying "Bye, Twee" when we leave the house.  He says goodbye to the Christmas tree.  This almost makes me forget how he took the yogurt drink out of the trash can and poured it all over the kitchen floor today as he said "ut, oh."

I said almost.