His Casablanca

We were all out for a walk the other weekend...

W: (to J, giving a quick burst of speed to the pushchair) Brrrrrr-eep!

J smiles

W: Brrrrr-eep!

J giggles

Me: That seems to keep him happy.
W: I know. I tried it the other day and it worked.
Me: Amazing because he only tends to laugh at the same things once.
W: It's all in the sound - different every time. (to J) Brrrr-eep!

J giggles again

Me: You sound like R2-D2.
W: I guess so.
Me: (wistfully) I had a talking model when I was a kid - I really liked that. He used to beep and then play Princess Leia's message: 'Help me Obi-Wan Kenobi. You're my only hope'.
W: Brrr-eep! (J giggles) That's my boy!

Pause

Me: Wow, I just had a thought.
W: What?
Me: Star Wars was 35 years ago, right? That's roughly equivalent to what Casablanca was to us when we were born. Released in 1942, I think.
W: That's quite a thought.
Me: Is Star Wars going to seem that old to him?
W: It might. It'll help that it's not black and white.
Me: And it might not seem as olde worlde.
W: True.
Me: Makes you think though eh?

Pause 

W: We are getting old.

Performance

All the world is a stage and we are merely players. At least, that's how it felt when I went on my first solo mission to a nearby coffee shop with J recently. 

Me: (lifting J out of his pushchair onto my lap) There you go.

A nearby pensioner couple notices us.

Old lady: Hello! How are you?
Me: I'm fine thanks. How are you?
Old lady: No, I meant him.
Me: Oh, I see....

I should get used to that. There's a pause - is she waiting for an answer?

Me: (half-pretending to be J, lifting his hand and everything) I'm fine thank you!
Old lady: Aw, he's sweet. How old is he?
Me: Nearly six months.

This script feels very familiar

Old lady: He's very active.
Me: He likes looking around. We come here a lot.
Old lady's husband: He comes to see the ladies eh?
Me: Well... I don't think...
Old lady's husband: Yes, that's what he does. 

We are rapidly going off-script.

Me: I think he just likes to look around and see what's new.
Old lady's husband: Exactly! To see the nice waitresses! 

It's funny how we attribute so many different thoughts and intentions to a little baby. More on this later.