Eloise Meets the Spicy Ladies

I read Eloise to Boy Wonder last night, and if ever there was a female counterpart to my mischievous, high-energy seven year-old prankster son, it is the entertainingly naughty Eloise. As you may remember, Eloise wreaks havoc in the Plaza by sklonking her roller skates down the hotel hallways, badgering room service for "a strawberry leaf and two raisins," running the elevators unnecessarily, and generally being a nuisance in the Plaza lobby. Naturally, Boy Wonder loved the book, especially the part at the end, where Eloise contemplates pouring water down the Plaza mail chute the next day. "I want to read about the NEXT day, Mom," he said, as I tucked him in.

A breakfast discussion of Eloise this morning then led to this conversation:

Spouse: If you had a girlfriend, Buddy, it would be Eloise. Definitely.
Boy Wonder: No, Dad. If YOU had a girlfriend it would be Eloise.
500Jerk: Hey! Dad already has a girlfriend. It's me.
Boy Wonder: Well, he can have other girlfriends. Girlfriends other than you.
Boy Wonder and 500Jerk: [chorus] LIKE THE LADIES AT THE SPICE RACK! THE LADIES AT THE SPICE RACK!
Spouse: [slightly embarrassed silence]
Boy Wonder and 500Jerk: [paying no attention; shouting at each other] JINX! JINX! JINX!

Here's the thing about a breakfast conversation Chez 500Jerk: You need to exercise extreme caution in introducing any topic. Because, really? You never know where it might lead.