oh those moronic Etruscans!

We are lucky to have in the Court a little knight who is trilingual -- Elijah is fluent in English, baby talk (he converses with Jael at great length sometimes in it, to her great delight), and Klingon.  Well, maybe he isn't fluent in Klingon.  Although, as you will see, there are times when it'd be easier to understand him if he was speaking Klingon.

We were driving to church one Sunday when our fearless driver (that's Rachel) smirked suddenly and almost crashed into the car ahead of us as we stopped for a red light.  "What was that about?" I asked from the passenger seat. "Better ask Elijah," she said. 

"hey Elijah,"  she said.

"Yeah?"

"Do you remember what car you are going to get this week?"

"Of course, Mom.  I'm getting the idiot car." he said.  I (Micah) was cracking up by this point.

I should at this point briefly interject that we weary regals bribe our offspring.  You can judge us; you can call it healthy incentive; but at its core, we give Elijah a little miniature car from the movie Cars every week that he behaves appropriately with no major outbursts. Bribery, pure and simple. 

"The idiot car?"  Rachel clearly was cracking up herself-- she knew what was coming; I didn't.

"you know, Mom-- the one who lives in the little shop and sells tires and talks with a funny voice.  I know you know, Mom."

"The Italian car? I-TAL-YAN??"

"No, the idiot car.  I call it the idiot car."

I was laughing so hard I could barely speak.  "Most people call it the Italian car.  It might be better that way for--"

Elijah cut me off with the weary tone of a child whose parents chastise too much.  "I know.  I know. You can say it both ways, Dad.  But I'm going to say 'IH-DEE-OT car' because it's easier to say and it sounds better."  Conversation over.

He looked up two seconds later, indignant.  "Why are you and Mom laughing so hard???