Observing the Social Forms

A rattle of paper behind me.

“I’m ordering Chinese too!” Elaina pipes up, brightly.  Heidi and I had just been talking about ordering Chinese delivery.

“Oh, you are, are you?” I asked, smiling at Elaina sitting there holding a Chinese takeout menu up in front of her like a newspaper.

I walk towards her and knock the coffee over on my desk.  “UGH! GNNNOUGH”.  (I try to keep my outbursts pretty G-rated caveman around her.)

“What’s wrong, Daddy?”

“I spilled my coffee….”

Not looking up from her Chinese menu, “That’s terrible, Daddy.  I’m sorry.”

I look up, laughing at her adult-like faux sympathy. 

Still intent upon her menu, “I think…I’m going to order…something delicious….  This!”  she announces, pointing at a picture in the menu.