Today is my granddaughter Joan’s 10th birthday.  We celebrated last night with a Shabbat dinner for the entire family.  We will take her to an art supply store this afternoon so she can pick out her present. Tomorrow, she is having an Escape Room party, to which we were not invited.

Joan has always been exceptionally quick and clever, IMHO. Some of you may remember, when she was just a kid, that I used to post things she said on Facebook. To honor her birthday, here is a reprise of some of the postings from when she was 2 (I posted until she was 5):

(1) Two year old Joan’s Massachusetts grandmother came to visit yesterday, bringing her three colorful bead necklaces. She put each of them on carefully, obviously liking them. She looked appreciative at her grandmother and said, “You have any earrings?” Getting a “n, ” she said,”Any bracelets?

(2) We drive 2 year old Joan home. Her snack is a small bag of Cheerios. She drops a few on her seat and tells us they are dirty. Edie says they aren’t dirty, but Joan asks us to roll down the window. She wants to throw them out for the birds.

Edie: you think birds like Cheerios?

Joan: yes, they like Cheerios and they like seeds.

Me: some birds like worms

Joan: G-pa! You are so silly.

(3) So we drive with 2 year old Joan by Ft. Reno Park. It is dark outside.

Joan: Did you see a gorilla outside the window?

Me: A gorilla?

Joan: Yes, a gorilla playing baseball with a tennis racket.

Me: I don’t think so.
Joan: Yes, and an elephant wearing a glove so it can catch the ball.

(4) 2 1/2 year old Joan and her mother are having somewhat of a morning power struggle. Hannah tries to end it by saying: “Look, I am in charge here.”

Joan responds: Only a little”.

(5) I am working with 2 3/4 year old Joan on her counting. I hold up four fingers and ask her to count them. She looks closely at each one but doesn’t say anything. I ask her how many she has counted. She says: All of them.”

(6) After the children’s Purim service last night, Adas served the kids chicken nuggets and tater tots, with catsup the only condiment. I tasted the food and found it inedible. Joan was nibbling at it.

Me: It doesn’t taste very good, does it?

Joan: It does. I LOVE catsup.”

(7) Joan and I are playing with her Legos. I make something and ask her what she thinks I made. She responds: A mistake.

(8) It’s the last day of Passover school vacation, and Joan is at our house. I ask her what she wants to do. She says: Scuba diving.

(9) Joan asks me if I know what she sometimes calls Cinderella. I tell her I don’t. She tells me that sometimes she just calls her Cinder and sometimes Cinderelli. Me: Do you ever just call her Ella? Joan: Not since she was a baby.

(10) Edie, Joan and I have a Mother’s Day supper at Ledo Pizza. Joan starts to talk to the baby at the table next to us. Then she turns towards another table with small children and starts to talk to them. I say: Joan, why don’t you turn around and eat your dinner? We don’t know any of these people.” She responds: Yes, but we can make new friends.”

(11) Her two grandfathers pick up Joan at her preschool. Sometimes, her car seat can be tricky, and her other grandfather was trying to get everything snapped. This is usually her grandmother’s job, and I say: This is when your grandma says ‘I persevere’. Joan says: Nooo. I say: Nooo? Joan: she does not say “persevere”; she says “persist”.

12) Joan’s father tries to each her Spanish. Joan decides to take a pretend photo of her mother. Say “cheese”, she says. Hannah says: Queso. Joan: Mommy, not the cheese you eat, the cheese you say to a camera.

(13) Joan sees a picture of me when I was her age. Her reaction: My, you sure have grown.

(14) Hannah tells Joan that she and Joan’s father are going out for a walk. Joan says, “I don’t want to be alone.” Hannah says: “You won’t be alone. You are with Grandma and Auntie M.” Joan responds: ” WE don’t want to be alone.”

Happy 10th birthday, Joan.