Hulk and Cocoa

Daddy, do you like Spider-Man?

Sometimes when we're in the potty, or getting ready for a bath, my daughter finds few distractions from her imagination.

Yes honey. I do.

Do you think he can come over to our house?

Well, I don't see why he would, to be honest. I hope he doesn't find the need to.

But he can, right?

Oh sure. It might be a little disorienting, but that would be pretty awesome.

See what I do there? I throw in a little vocabulary to add an extra level of educational awesomeness into the mix. Because nothing says "Daddy-daughter bonding" like "edutainmental fantasies."

But not Hulk, right? We don't want Hulk in our house, right?

No, no. Hulk will smash. He'll destroy everything.

Hulk is angry. He'll smash everything.

Yeah. We can't have that.

No...

My daughter's on the fast-track to becoming a Serious Comic Book Geek, in spite of her innate yet quite unnatural princess temperance. Who else ponders this stuff? Nerds, that's who.

Why is he angry?

I'm not sure. But that's what makes him the Hulk. He's innately angry. That's how he becomes the Hulk.

Oh...

Thinking. Where does she come up with this stuff? Do they have these brainstorming sessions in preschool? Or is this what she's thinking of during story time that gets her so easily distracted? Is this gonna keep her from Harvard?

She looks me in the eyes.

Daddy, what if we invite him for some hot chocolate?

The simple, profound power of imagination. God, I love this girl.