On the Naming of Things

[billroper]

Katie just came up to my office and tried to suggest that we should sneak out and buy her a popsicle without telling Mommy. I told her that would be a bad idea, because Daddy shouldn't keep secrets like that from Mommy. And I told her that we would have custard later after dinner.

"I don't want custard. I want a popsicle."

"Ok, you can have a popsicle after dinner."

"I don't want dinner."

"But we're having pizza. With pepperoni."

"I want a popsicle for dinner."

"You can't have a popsicle for dinner. A popsicle is dessert or a treat."

"I want to call it dinner."

"But we can't do that. That would be like calling you Julie -- you'd still be Katie."

"I want to call it dinner."

"Nope. We can't do that."

She seems somehow unconvinced.