At once amused and dismayed

She sat so nicely in the shopping cart
Singing and reaching for produce
Naming whatever objects she could and
Parroting back the final word of sentences she heard
"Man?" "Store?" "Mama?"
And then the whining began

"What do you want, Big Girl?"
"eieio?"
"Daddy? Please? eieio?"
And so I sang to her
There in the store
"And on that farm he had a..."
And I swear the word that came out of her mouth sounded like "republican."
I almost asked her what a Republican says.
But I was pretty sure she wouldn't know
And unfortunately I already did know.

With the singing cut short by laughter and her patience wearing thin,
Shea asked for "Down"
She wanted to walk.
She wanted to run.
And she did.
Down the aisle
Looking back once over her shoulder as she turned the corner
As if she was going to stop
Perhaps come back
But turning a corner
Quickly out of sight
And giggling with gleeful excitement
while I panic slightly
And chase her down.

Republican.
Girl, you're funny.