**Iris:** All my sweeties [stuffed animals] love beer.

**Me:** Really? What’s their favorite kind?

**Iris:** Kale ale.

**Me:** Okay, I’m heading out to Coinstar.

**Iris:** I didn’t know cornstarch was a store. I thought it was only an ingredient.

We had some excellent bibimbap for dinner (from my recently published recipe, without the stone bowl). I’m following mine up with Starbucks Coffee Almond Fudge ice cream, which has finally seen the light and is now sold in pints instead of quarts.

After dinner Iris grabbed a plate and the (empty) maple syrup pitcher and announced that we were playing a game where I would put a toy on the plate, she would pour syrup on it, and the big stuffed bear would eat it. The big stuffed bear’s name, for reasons I’m not even going to go into, is Big Mama Robert Preston.

So I dutifully put Little Sister Doggy onto the plate and B.M.R.P. ate her.

> **Me** (posing as B.M.R.P.): MMMMM! That was GOOD. Do you have any more like that?

> **Iris:** No, but we have a brother who tastes really good.

Iris sprinkled some sunflower seeds on her toast strip.

> **Iris:** It’s like a little bruschetta.

> **Matthew:** Did you just say “bruschetta”?

> **Iris:** Dada, you want some bruschetta?

Iris put two slices of Nueske’s on her plate.

> **Me:** Iris, are you takin’ my bacon?

> **Iris:** I’m just taking two. See, there are many for you on the plate.

> (pause for Iris to transfer one more slice of bacon to her plate)

> **Iris:** Actually, I’m taking three because I love them so much.