J=my Roommate’s 3-year-old son, he of the impeccable logic. Conversation excerpt overheard tonight (OK, I was overhearing myself for part of it):
tesseract: Hey, look, J, at what I got at the store! (Thank you cards featuring one of the Incredibles, a guy in a red suit with a big I on his chest, saying Thanks!)
J: I like this guy!
tesseract: Yeah, these are to give to your friends!
J (furrows brow and shakes head no): These mine.
tesseract: Yeah, they’re yours, but they’re thank you cards to give to your friends.
J: I’m trying to open them.
tesseract: OK, you can open them. Do you want me to help you?
J: Yeah.
tesseract: Here you go. (Once they spill out, he sees they’re all the same and blank on the inside.)
J: Hey!
tesseract: Yeah, see, they’re just cards.
J: Not cars!
tesseract: Not cars, cards. Thank you cards.
Roommate: Maybe this isn’t the best night for this.
tesseract: Yeah.
(a little later)
Roommate: Hey, look, here are your thank you cards. Do you want to send some thank you cards?
J (furrows brow): These mine.
Roommate: Yeah, but these are to send to the people who came to your birthday party! It’s to say thank you to them.
J: I want them.
Roommate: Um, OK, do you want to send one to P?
J: Not his birthday!
Roommate: OK. Do you know what we’re doing? Remember how you had a big party? And all your friends came?
J: All my friends not came!
Roommate: Your Seattle friends couldn’t come, but ALL your California friends came! And remember how they came to your house, and you ate pizza, and it was fun, and they gave you a whole bunch of presents? These cards are to say, “Thank you for coming to my birthday party!” You’re saying, “Thank you for coming to my party, and thanks for the present!” (pointing) See, it says “THANKS!” What did you get? Remember, P gave you a scooter, and A gave you—um – some cars, and the neighbors gave you —
J: (grunts impatiently, bored with this explanation)
Roommate: (abandons this line of attack) --OK. Do you want to write one to Grandma first?
J: No, I want to say at P first.
Roommate: OK. Let’s say, “Dear P–” What else do you want to say? (pen raised)
J: Happy Birthday!
Roommate: OK…
tesseract: Is that what you’re going to write?
Roommate: Yep. OK, “Happy Birthday.” What next?
J: I want two birthdays.
Roommate: OK. (writing) “I want two birthdays.” What else?
J: That’s enough.
Roommate: That’s enough? OK. Here’s what you have. Oh, wait, this has to be to the other kids in his family too. OK, “Dear P, K, H, and K, Happy Birthday! I want two birthdays. That’s enough!”
tesseract: I hope you’re going to add a little note to that.
Roommate: Don’t worry.
Roommate: OK, so, “Love, J”?
J: (shakes head no)
Roommate: Not “Love, J”? OK, how about “Sincerely, J”?
J: (furrows brow, thinking) No.
Roommate: Not “Sincerely, J?” How about “Love, J”? No? “See ya later, J”? “Talk to ya later, J?” “Thanks, J”? We have to end it. How should we end it?
J: (keeps shaking head no)
Roommate: OK. Next one! How about to Grandma?
J: Yeah.
Roommate: OK, “Dear Grandma & Poppa,” what do you want to say next? Thank you for –
J: Thank you for Little Leap.
Roommate: Oh, “Thank you for Little Leap.” We’re making progress. Did you get some batteries from them? You like batteries, don’t you? “Thank you for the batteries?”
J: Yeah.
Roommate: OK (writing), what else?
J: Happy Birthday!
Roommate: OK, “Happy Birthday.” What next?
J: Happy Birthday at them house.
Roommate (to self): that means, “Happy Birthday to their house.” OK. (writing) “Happy Birthday at them house.” OK, let’s do one more, then we’ll be done for awhile. Who do you want to do next? How about the neighbors? L and S? Remember how they got you the train? The train tracks?
J: Not them birthday!
) He’s very talkative, and so he just about bombarded me with questions-
Uh, I think you might want to ask Grandpa Harold (pastor at a local church) that question, D. But my money’s on Jesus 
