CONVERSATIONS WITH NICK ABOUT ROBOT MIKE

AGE TWO

ME: Hey, Nick! Look what I bought you! It’s a toy robot! His name is Mike! You wind up him up and sparks come out. Watch!

NICK: AH!!! AH!!!! TAKE IT AWAY!

ME: But Nick…

NICK: TAKE IT AWAY!

AGE TWO AND A HALF

ME: Hey, Nick. Want to meet Mister Spoon?

ALLISON: What are you going to do?

ME: It’s just a magic trick. I make the spoon float in mid-air. He’ll love it.

ALLISON: It will scare him.

ME: Oh, it will not. Look, Nick! It’s Mister SPOOOOOOOOOON!!!!!

NICK: AH!!! AH!!! NO!!!! TAKE IT AWAY!!!!

ALLISON: Told you.

AGE THREE

ME: Want to see Mike the Robot?

NICK: NO!!!! NO!!!!

ALLISON: Okay, seriously? Stop asking if he wants to see the robot. He doesn’t want to see it.

ME: Want to see Mister Spoon?

NICK: NO!!!

ALLISON: Stop it.

AGE FOUR

NICK: Dad?

ME: Yes.

NICK: I don’t want to go back to Karate class. Okay?

ME: How come?

NICK: I feel shy.

ME: Yeah. I know how that is. But I’m glad you tried it. It’s good to try things that are scary. You have to be brave sometimes.

(Pause)

NICK: Dad?

ME: Yes.

NICK: I want to see Mike the Robot.

ME: Who’s that?

NICK: Mike the Robot. Who used to scare me when I was a baby.

ME: Oh. You do?

NICK: Yes.

ME: Really?

NICK: Yes.

ME: What if he scares you?

NICK: I gonna hide under the table while you get him.

ME: Okay.

NICK: I under the table! Get Mike the Robot!

ME: Okay. I’ve got him. Should I hand him to you?

NICK: No!

ME: Where should I put him?

NICK: Put him in the hallway.

ME: Okay. Okay, he’s in the hall.

NICK: Okay, daddy.

ME: You want to come out and see him?

NICK: Okay. Okay.

(Crawls out from the under the table. Slowly walks to hallway.)

NICK: That Mike?

ME: Yep. That’s him.

(Pause)

NICK: I like him.

ME: You want me to wind him up?

NICK: Yes.

ME: Okay. See how the sparks come out?

NICK: HAHAHA! I’m not scared of Mike, dad!

ME: I know!

NICK: I not scared of him! I like him!

ME: I’m glad.

NICK: Daddy?

ME: Yes.

NICK: Go get Mister Spoon.