A Conversation with My Nephew

7:00 am.  I come downstairs to find my nephew Huey, aged 3 1/2, sitting at my kitchen table.  He says, "Hi, Aunt Kim.  I ate all your airplane cookies."

I say, "Are you up by yourself?"

He says, "Dewey (his brother) woke me up.  I've been up since 4:30!  Are you making coffee?"

A glance into the family room has revealed my sister-in-law wrapped in an afghan on the couch.  Coffee seems like the best option.

Huey says, "I love coffee!  I love coffee!  I want some coffee!  Aunt Kim, I want coffee!"

I say nothing.

Huey thinks for a moment, then says sweetly, "Aunt Kim, can  I please have some coffee?"

I say, "It's not done yet.  Also, it's not up to me whether or not you can have coffee.  You'll have to ask your Mom."

Huey runs into the family room, runs back.  He reports, "She said, 'Uh-uh.'  That means yes."

I say, "'Uh-uh means no.  Uh-huh means yes."

Huey runs into the family room, runs back.  He says, "She said, 'Uh-huh.'"

I say, "The coffee's not done.  Would you like something else?"

He says, "No.  I already ate all the airplane cookies."

I'm feeding the dogs when Huey yells, "The coffee's done!  It's done!  Done, Aunt Kim!  Coffee's ready!  I love COFFEE!"

My sister-in-law rolls her eyes and pulls the afghan over her face.  I take a mug and pour half an inch of coffee into it.  I fill the rest of the mug up with milk, and hand it to him.

He looks at it suspiciously.  "Is that whole milk?"

I say, "No.  We're out of whole milk."

"What kind of milk is that?"

"That's skim milk."

"Oh," he says, "I don't like skim milk."  And he puts the mug down and wanders away.