A Conversation with My Husband

Brian (noticing I wasn’t really eating dinner): “Are you not going to have any?”

Alison: “I’m really not hungry. I just ate some stuff.”

Brian: “Oh yeah? What did you have?”

Alison: “I unpacked all the lunchboxes.”

Brian, “Oh, right. Ok.”

A Conversation with my Kindergartener (in his bed at bedtime, of course)

Arlo: “I want to invite Broccoli to my party.” (His classmate is named Barclay. But I don’t correct him.)

Alison: “Absolutely. We’ll make sure to invite him to your next birthday party. I think we’ll be able to have birthday parties next year.”

Arlo: “And I want to go the the Discovery Museum.”

Alison: “I do too. It’s closed now, but I think they’re planning to reopen as soon as they can.”

Arlo: “It’s all because of the virus. I know you don’t like this word, but I think the virus is…”

Alison: “Stupid. I know; you want to say the virus is stupid.”

Arlo: “I’m so mad at the virus.”

Alison: “I hear you. I’m also mad that people aren’t wearing masks when they should be.”

Arlo: “We should teach them!”

Alison: “Yes, we should!”

Arlo: “Or punch them!”

Alison: “No, that would just make things worse.”

Arlo: “Or kick them!”

Alison: “No, not that either. I liked your idea about teaching them. What if we could punch and kick the virus, though?”

Arlo: “YEAH!”

Alison: “Maybe we could invent a virus for the virus!”

Arlo: “YEAH! We could make a virus that’s on our side!”

Alison: “Yes! A Supervirus!”

Arlo: “Ok! Goodnight! Have a good day! Work hard!”