Puzzling

On Tuesdays, Jack and I usually go down to visit my parents because that is the day they have my 4 ½ year old nephew, The Charmer. Last week, my dad and The Charmer settled down after lunch to work on a puzzle. This particular puzzle was actually 26 mini puzzles, one for each letter of the alphabet. Each letter had a picture of something that started with that letter, and also contained the word itself printed at the bottom.

The Charmer soon lost interest in the puzzle and started wandering around the living room. My dad, however, kept plugging away at it, looking for the “ain” segment of the “train” mini puzzle. “Hey, The Charmer, stop stepping on the ones I finished,” my dad said to him. “Glorioski^*, this puzzle is really something else,” he said. He checked the puzzle box and exclaimed, “Ages three and up? I don’t understand why they would say this puzzle was for ages three and up!”

After a while, my mom came in and said, “The Charmer, are you ready for a snack, or are you still working on that puzzle?”

“Oh, he’s done with the puzzle,” I said. “Dad’s got something to prove, though.”

“I just can’t believe that they say this puzzle is for ages three and up!” my dad complained.

The funny thing was, just a few days before I had watched Elfin Nephew – admittedly with help from his mom – put together that very puzzle. Elfin Nephew is three. Of course, I am a very kind person, always considerate of others’ feelings, so I kept this information to myself.

No, of course I didn’t.

I told my father that Elfin Nephew did the puzzle, and my dad wasn’t about to be bested by a three year old, so he managed to finish it as well. Because the puzzle is for ages three “and up.”

*For those not related to my dad: He says “Glorioski.” Also “Whisht.”