It's important that you're able to articulate your feelings on the matter

While out running errands this morning, I asked Miranda if she's like to drive past a construction site and "see the earthmovers working." She was very enthusiastic, so off we went. To our chagrin, they were sitting motionless in the lot (lunch break, perhaps?), and although we waited for several minutes, they never moved. Miranda asked several times if we could "wait for them to wake up."

Trying to find a positive spin, I asked if she'd like to go see the cows instead. (We live near a stockyard, and Miranda and her carpool friend Blair like to drive by and try to spot a cow. We go a couple of times a week after school. Setting the stage for a future discussion on local food economies.) You can usually see a few cows standing around, or at least hear them lowing in the background. But today... nada. Not a single cow, not a solitary moo could be heard, although we drove around the lot and down beside the pens.

As we pulled away and headed for home, I suggested a picnic lunch on the porch. Miranda sort of sighed, and said, "Well, ok. Let's have peanut butter. But, I wanted to see the cows. And the earthmovers. I'm just so disappointed. I'm really disappointed."