32 Comments
Apr 24Liked by Constantine Markides

Your notes on your children are a lot like mine, lol. The broccoli one really made me laugh as that is literally how I got my son to try broccoli in the first place: "Look! It's a mini-tree fighting for its life: don't eat me, please don't eat me gentle giant!" Fastest way to get a 5 year old to get his fibre 😆

Expand full comment
author

I'd take that over introducing your child to a tree via broccoli! The perils of city living...

Expand full comment
Apr 24Liked by Constantine Markides

As someone who creates art, I like Electra's work. Very much. New profile pic?

Expand full comment
author

It would definitely be more pleasing to look at!

Expand full comment

Constantine's a con artist, that's a self portrait he made, for sure.

Expand full comment
author

The first half of that sentence, I concede, is true

Expand full comment
Apr 24Liked by Constantine Markides

Loved this piece, especially this - "Electra sees an ad in a magazine for red and blue pain killers and says to Caroline, “Look, your favorite candies.”

Expand full comment
author

Thanks, it wasn't anything more exciting than Tylenol, but I liked the suggestion of a more problematic pill-popping condition!

Expand full comment
Apr 24Liked by Constantine Markides

Out of the mouths of babes…

I overheard my son telling his friend he couldn’t say the “S” words. Turns out I told him to say quiet not shut up. 😂

Expand full comment
author

Indeed, kids remind us that there's actually more than one F- or S-word :)

Expand full comment
Apr 24Liked by Constantine Markides

This is my favorite post so far. Made me laugh so much. More from Electra and Fjora please!

Expand full comment
author

Not that you’re biased as the aunt or anything :)

Expand full comment

Preposterous!. :) I’m also impressed with how quickly Caroline came up with a simple definition for “fate”.

Expand full comment
author

No, that was Electra’s definition of fate

Expand full comment

I misread that. Um, she is a genius.

Expand full comment
Apr 24Liked by Constantine Markides

So cute. I love their open sweet minds before the age of 10.

You’re lucky her interpretation of the “F-word” was Fate. So poetic. My son called the dump truck a dump F@#k again and again.

One of my favorite daughter moments was when her Dad was furious while dining at the restaurant and began making his angry scrunched up clenched face that was supposed to be scary but she just burst out laughing. Then we all began laughing and who knows what was to be so angry about. She broke the ancestral fatherly intimidation cycle right then and there.

Expand full comment
author

Poetic indeed. Sounds like your son was ahead of his time, or at least his age… Yes, my daughter for sure broke that ancestral father intimidation cycle along with the wind!

Expand full comment

I recognise these, each one... the broccoli, my friend used it as dinosaur food, the dinosaurs eating trees ie broccoli... The farting as response, how mature, cool to know not only boys do that. Favourite candy? Oh mum better look into that one... hahahahaha these are all brilliant and thank you for sharing. So much laughter.

Expand full comment
author

Ha, yes, it's definitely not only boys who do that! Thanks, glad they made you laugh. My daughter seeing a piece of broccoli in a tree is what I get for raising her in NYC...

Expand full comment

You guys need to check out more books and travel more... hahahahahhaha like real books, cook books, geography books, atlases, nature books. Brilliant piece, I felt at home straight away. Kids make the best comments. Spot on!

Expand full comment
author

Well, our first daughter was born in Cyprus where she lived for a year, then we moved to England for a year, then to France for just short of another, then Maine for five months, and now in NYC, so I doubt more travel will solve anything. The broccoli sightings are probably more out of whiplash...

Expand full comment
Apr 24Liked by Constantine Markides

Great stuff as per usual. If only to be so free & pliable as the mind of a child.

Expand full comment
author

Thanks, Ben. Yes, pliability of mind, and of body, is definitely not something that increases with age... Too bad we weren't designed the other way around!

Expand full comment
Apr 25Liked by Constantine Markides

Love them, keep them safe, admit nothing in these stories. (Experience)

Expand full comment
author
Apr 25·edited Apr 25Author

(Wisdom)

Expand full comment

Toddlers are the best! And when Fjora becomes a teen, she will read your exhausted words and throw a tantrum - "See, you never loved me the same!". But your relationship will improve in 15-43 years time when she has her second kid :)

Expand full comment
author

Ha! I hadn’t considered how this could be weaponized against me… I’ll just have to direct her to your comment if that happens

Expand full comment

I'll buy her a virtual reality implant so all she lives and loves is candy and broccoli trees.

Expand full comment
author

What awaits us in the mid 21st century Matrix

Expand full comment

I'm looking forward to one day being disconnected with a bunch of books, beer and a machine gun.

Expand full comment
author

Throw in there a cannon too and you'll basically be Hunter S. Thompson

Expand full comment

Love toddler ατάκες. And same with Notes app. 🌺

Expand full comment