Through a Glass, Darkly

This is a conversation we are having a lot lately in our house:

MAMA: Atticus, what color is this?

ATTICUS: Yellow.

MAMA: No. It’s green.

ATTICUS: Yellow!

MAMA: No. Green.

ATTICUS: YELLOW!

MAMA: No!

ATTICUS: YELLLLLLLOW!

He seems to be able to identify some colors and knows some of their names, but whenever I ask him what color something is, he gets a gleam in his eye and shouts yellow. Probably because I give him such a good reaction. He laughs at me and digs in his heels. Nope, it’s yellow. It goes without saying, I am sure, that he does this more to me than to Mike.

But that’s okay, because I have started asking only about yellow objects.

MAMA: Atticus, what color is this banana?

ATTICUS: YELLOW!

MAMA: That’s right! High five!

And then I high five him and also I WIN, HAHA! You will not defeat me, toddler! I am not sure how he got to be so obstinate. I really am not.

Yesterday, I was drinking an iced tea from Starbucks when Atticus walked up to me (that’s a lie, he runs everywhere).

ATTICUS: Straw, mine mine!

MAMA: No, this is my straw. Mama’s drink.

ATTICUS: Straw! Mine!

MAMA: What color is the straw, Atticus?

ATTICUS: YELLOW!

MAMA: If you say what color the straw is, I will give it to you.

ATTICUS: Green.

MAMA: You little turkey.

I am thinking he won that round. I went ahead and gave him the whole drink, just to be sure.