Zopes

Does anyone with young children know what this means? Recently, I have become “Dad-zopes” and my wife “Mom-zopes”, as vocalized by our five-year-old kindergarten whiz, the Little One.

I watch a lot of cartoons with her – Phineas and Ferb is now her favorite – and I don’t recall hearing this (hopeful) term of endearment. Maybe she caught it watching those terrible Disney kiddie sitcoms I’ve been discouraging as too old for her and too anti-Disney.

Or maybe it’s a groupthink kindergarten thing. After all, it is very amusing to watch fifteen five-year-olds waiting on line in the cold to get in to their classroom, animatedly and vigorously playing “Rock Scissors Paper” like it was March Madness. So, one kid announces in class that’s what he calls his folks, and that night, fourteen other sets of parents are scratching their heads at the new moniker.

Still, though, it could just be the Little One. My funny, super-intelligent, triple-threat, fully-accessorized and color-coordinated, crayon artiste extraordinaire, and all-around reading buddy. Could just be a product of that unfathomable unspoiled imagination.

Probably is.