I love you all the [fill in blank]
May 15, 2009Sara and I have been reading books to Besh at bedtime since he was about 6 months old. Maybe earlier. Although some books have come and gone, one that has lasted for a long time and even mounted a few comebacks when it disappeared for a while is I Love You All The Time. If you haven’t read it (I know, you’re waiting for the movie), each page talks about different things parents do with or without kids but always ends with “I love you all the time.”
Recently, this line has evolved into a kind of game with Besh where we’ll replace time with something else. So it’s not uncommon to have exchanges like…
“I love you all the Mary Poppins.”
“I love you all the teeth.”
“I love you all the Gamaw car.”
“I love you all the soccer ball.”
Usually it goes back and forth for a bit. Sometimes one of us will repeat the other, which then triggers a sideround of the “Hey, I said that!” game which oftentimes lasts longer than one would anticipate.
The “I love you all the [blank]” game appeared infinite and unwinnable until last night at the dinner table we had this exchange. (This is about 10 rounds into the game, but I’ve edited for your enjoyment.)
Besh: “I love you all the string beans.”
Me: “I love you all the ice cream.”
Besh’s eyes went wide. “Seriously?”
“Seriously.”
“Wow.”
Yes, ice cream is the ultimate toddler trump card.
I hope this game lasts forever. We can still play it when he’s in high school, right? I love it all the I love it games!!
I think this shows the true metaphysical value of ice cream for Besh. It is not mere sugar. It is life itself. Clearly, anyone who has read Plato will recognize the ESSENCE of life itself in his reaction to ice cream. The kid is brilliant…and deserves ice cream.