"Like a little old lady"

Tess has an earnestness to her. She is very serious, and growing increasingly bossy. She knows what she wants and can articulate it quite well for her age. Together, these qualities are really funny. She's such a funny combination of confident and sure-of-herself and awkward toddler movement and speech. Or she's a funny combination of bossy-take-charge in a tiny little body.

Tonight we took a trip with Jenny, Nika, and Seyla to Rockaway Beach for dinner at a taco stand and an evening jaunt in the water. It was a really fun adventure.

We ate outdoors in a little space that this taco shack had decorated with a few tables, chairs, stools, and (as luck would have it) a tiny dispenser of $0.50 animal rings. Tess was totally fascinated with the dispenser, studying it as we waited for the food to arrive. Then the food arrived, and my friend and I were trying to gather up the three girls and offer them something to eat. It was chaotic. There weren't enough seats, the table was low, the girls were constantly moving around, and we weren't sure what of the food they would like.

After a while, Tess moved to a seat where she could reach my wallet, which I had placed on the table. She grabbed it and got out a penny, as I'm telling her to put it away with my hands full of messy fish taco. I wipe my hands, retrieve my wallet, but let her keep the penny. Next thing I know, she's over at the dispenser, trying to shove the penny up the opening where the prize comes out. When nothing happens, she turns around in dismay and yells, "it's not working!!"

She spent the rest of dinner trying to sneak my wallet so that she could get out more coins and see if that would make it work. I had to admire her planning and effort. Eventually I gave her a choice between a toy or ice cream, and she opted for the ice cream. After all that effort, she abandoned it willing for an icy. (A good choice, I assure you. That was an amazing icy!)