Looking Up to the Six-Year-Old Jet-Set

Pretty-much every decision Daniel makes in every day life is influenced by what Ian happens to be doing. Daniel is so Ian-centric that when Amy let him decide where he wants to go for lunch the other day, Daniel made his own decision based on what Ian likes ("Ian likes Vietanese [sic] restaurants"). Last night, when Ian was already asleep but Daniel got up and came down to the kitchen and Amy told him he could watch the end of the movie with her before going back to bed, Daniel started trotting up the stairs to wake Ian up, because, after all, Ian would want to watch the movie, too.

But especially questions of style, prize/present-selection, and upcoming recreation are determined overwhelmingly by what Ian happens already to have elected for himself. One typical instance of this was yesterday at would-be breakfast time, when I asked Daniel if he wanted cereal and milk, and he advised me, "Daddy, if Ian's not having cereal, then I'm not having cereal."

(March 5, 2010)