This morning as I was drinking my coffee, Thomas held out his sippy cup to me and said, “Da!” which means “Cheers!” in Thomas-speak.
It’s a little something Bryan started with Ruthie a long time ago, daddy and daughter clanking their glasses together as they partook in beverages. But it soon evolved into something Ruthie does when she notices she has the same thing as another person, like when she cheers-ed our toes because she wore the same color nail polish as me.
I’m so used to this endearing ritual that it never occurred to me it’s a little quirky. Until, of course, I was at a playgroup last week and noticed a four-year-old wearing the same style and color of sandals that I was wearing. When I stuck my foot out in his direction and joyfully said, “Cheers!” he crossed his eyebrows at me and walked away.
Thomas has quickly picked up on this tradition, and now whenever we’re holding a beverage at the same time I’m sucked into the toddler-style uber-repetition of cheers-ing his sippy cup. It never ends. And just now as I was sweeping, he jabbed my little hand whisk out in front of him and said, “Da!” as he tapped my broom.