Imagine the future

Armed with his Sponge Bob bat and ice cream bucket helmet, this preschooler is ready to conquer the world! (By the way, that's ketchup, not blood, on his cheek.)

It's so exciting to be three-and-a-half. The future is a mythical time when everything you dream will finally come true. AJ loves to imagine. His three favorite topics to think about (and talk endlessly about) are:

• What he wants to be for Halloween
• What he's going to ask Santa for Christmas
• What he wants to be when he grows up

On that last topic, he's had some interesting ideas lately. He's going to drive a digger truck. Or be a fireman (much to Daddy's dismay). Somehow he'll squeeze in a side job as a rocket ship man -with an air helmet (that's a very important detail). And my all-time favorite: an "army soldier ice cream bringer." I'm not quite sure what the job duties would be for that one. Deliver ice cream to the troops? Or be one of the troops delivering ice cream as a humanitarian gesture?

One job he isn't ready for, apparently, is president. While watching the Democratic National Convention this week, Jeff told AJ, "That could be you some day. Do you want to be president?"

AJ immediately affirmed, "I want to be president."

So I asked, "Do you know what a president is?"

That stopped him, "No. What?"