Move Over Lola

Lola fever has died down a bit around here, but has been replaced with a passion for Parris. Eliot has been talking about her from dawn to dusk. Of course, when he says 'Parris', we hear 'Pay-pay'. Or sometimes 'Pep-ie'. And sometimes even 'Pee-Pee', but we try and discourage that.

E has been demanding to see picture slideshows containing nothing but Parris pics and demands more when they end. He has a picture of her and her sister Bronte in his room, and he often reminds us that it's there. Anything in the apartment that has ever been touched or looked at by Parris is lovingly referred to by her name.

One of the upsides of his crush is that I can use Parris as leverage to get my way. As in "Eliot, Parris loves vegetables, wouldn't you like to eat some more peas?" And it works. He even remembers Parris-related trivia. "Who's favorite fruit is mango, Eliot?" "Pay-pay!" And so on.

You may want to grab a hankie for this heartbreakingly sweet tidbit: Justin was reading E a book and on the last page there were a few illustrations of tiny red hearts, and Eliot pointed to each one and said, "Pay-pay!"

I told you.

I can only imagine that he will carry this unrequited love late into his twenties. She will always have a soft spot for him in her heart but will determine that he is just too young for her (what with the five year age difference). And then, after a life-changing visit to India to save abused tigers the year before her thirtieth birthday, she will run into him on the street and realize that he was the one all along, and then I'll get to help plan the wedding of two of my favorite people on earth.

Wishful thinking I know, but aren't they so goddamn cute together?