Bringing my appetite

"Come on, everybody," says E, "we're going to a restaurant." She's holding her red doll in one hand, and the green removable bowl from her potty in her other hand. She indicates the bowl -- "this is my purse."
"Oh," I say, "what kind of a restaurant are we going to?"
"A mac and cheese and french fries restaurant," she replies. "Bring L."
So I pick up her sister, grab a few baby toys, and we travel to the restaurant (AKA the living room floor). "I'm hungry for mac and cheese and french fries," I say. "Where is our food?"
E hands me the potty bowl. "Here's your food. Eat!"

Georgia Ave and Bel Pre Road: baruch dayan emet*

Routine of A Two-Year-Old Who Doesn’t Understand Something and her Mommy, Terrible Accident Version:

GO, Mommy! I can’t go until the red car goes, and that car can’t go because all the cars in front of it aren’t going. But GO! Sweetie, traffic’s not moving. We have to wait. WHHHHYYYYYYYYYYYYY? It looks like there might have been an accident ahead. We have to wait so the police and ambulance have room to help. An amboolance? I want to see the blinking! Well, it looks like we’re going to have to move to the left, so you’ll see it soon. We have to move left? Why?

[How do you explain what looks like a very scary accident to your questioning kid, without being scary, while satisfying her questions?]

I think the ambulance needs some room, so the police are showing us where to drive so we can give the ambulance some room. Remember that police are helpers? So they’re helping right now. They’re helping the ambulance get room and they’re helping us know where to drive. Where are they driving us? Um, it looks like they want us to turn, honey. I think the street is closed so the ambulance has room, and I think the police are showing us to turn around. Why are all those cars driving on the grass, Mommy? Drive the grass, Mommy!! Honey, the police are showing us a street we can use to turn around. The grass is called a median and see how it’s pointed down in the middle? Only pickups and big SUVs are driving on the grass to turn. I don’t think our car would like that. We’re going to wait for the police to let us drive on the street part. But Mommy, GOOOO!! Sweetie, I can’t. We have to wait. But how will we go? We’ll just turn around like the other cars, sweetie.

**SHE BURSTS INTO TEARS IN THE BACKSEAT.**

I DON’T WANNA GO HOME I WANNA GO TO SOHN-SOHN’S HOUSE I DON’T WANNA TURN AROUND. Oh, love, we’ll still go to Sohn-Sohn’s house, we just need to find another street to take. Mommy!! I see two amboolances! And one two three four five SIX SEVEN police cars! And a fire truck! And they’re all blinking!! Oh, I see that. Look at all that blinking. We’re turning now, Mama? Yes, honey, we’re turning. We’re going to take a different street, okay? We’re giving the amboolances room and the police because they’re helpers? Yep, they’re all helpers. Mama Mommy LOOK! The car is broken on the front! Oh, I see, that car looks like it bumped. Maybe the tow truck will come get it. A tow truck is coming? Will it blinking, too? It fix the car’s boo-boo? You’re probably right – I think that car will need a tow truck to fix its boo-boo. Cuz it got a bump? And the police and amboolances are helping and we’re turning to give them room? That’s right, sweetie. They’re all helping. Do you like all the blinking? I LIKE it!!

And I’m glad she’s looking up at the lights on the tops of the vehicles, because she’s not looking down at the white sheet draped over the still form on the black pavement.

*Blessed is the true judge.