merci, papa

At the city market this morning, Benjamin got a balloon-animal hat, seen above, a poodle on a conquistador's helmet, by the looks of it.

Back home, Benjamin pulled on the poodle's nose and its head came undone, leaving what looked to my eye like a great blue brontosaurus, but Benjamin was upset. He wanted his blue poodle back. Nathalie came very close to restoring the poodle's head, but it wouldn't hold; the brontosaurus kept popping back. So I imitated what she had done, but with paternal confidence, and the poodle head held.

"Oh! Merci, Papa! Merci!" said Nathalie.

Then from Benjamin: "Mer-ci ... pa-pa ..."

He saw our excitement at his combining the words for the first time, so he smiled and continued. "Merci, papa. Merci, papa. Merci, papa ..."

You're welcome, beloved boy.