Death by pecking

So I've said for a while now that it's amazing (albeit frustrating...) how toddlers are like little parrots. The words and phrases you use most -- whether for good or for bad -- are repeated back to you time after time after time; morning noon and night. Well to provide an idea of the type of the verbal abuse I am currently taking from my two-year-old son, I have transcribed the following conversation which we had while visiting Daddy at work on Monday morning.

We pull into the parking lot and out comes Eric, greeted by shouts of "DADDDEEEEEEEE!!!" I grab Kemper and Eric takes Brecken. We walk into the building and it begins. (As a sidenote, I'm quoting Brecken word for word -- he frequently omits helping verbs, but you get the gist of it)

Brecken: "Daddy? This where you work?"
Eric: Yep it is buddy.
Brecken: Is it?
Eric: Yep, it is.
Brecken: Oh. This where you go to work?
Eric: Yep, this is where Daddy goes to work every morning. And when Mommy tells you 'Daddy went to work,' this is where I am.
Brecken: Oh, is it? Is it Daddy? Daddy, you live here?
Eric: No, I don't live here. I live at home with you, and Mommy, and Kemper. Daddy just works here during the day.
Brecken: Oh. You work here?
Eric: I work here.
Brecken: Oh.

We walk down through a couple of hallways, see a huge picture of some horses, a sculpture that looks like balloons (all of which draw numerous plenty of commentary from B). Then we turn toward a sea of cubicles, down Eric's row.

Eric: And this is my desk. This is where Daddy sits to do his work.
Brecken: Is it?
Eric: It is.
Brecken: This is where you sit daddy?
Eric: Yep, this is where I sit.
Brecken: Oh. (pause) You sit here daddy? When you come to work?
Eric: Yep, this is my desk.
Brecken: Is it?
Eric: It is buddy.
Brecken: Oh.

Brecken then takes a break from the repetition to say hi to some of Eric's coworkers, and check out a little Hawkeye stressball he'd spotted. He proceeds to run a few laps around the cubes (fortunately it was MLK day so the place was rather empty...and those working didn't mind the distraction). Then we decide it's time to get going.

Eric: Okay buddy, lets go get in the minivan.
Brecken: Daddy, you comin to the minivan too?
Eric: Well Daddy has to work buddy, but I'll walk to the van with you
Brecken: No! Daddy come too! Daddy come in the minivan!! (begin meltdown)
Eric: Okay buddy, I'll come to the minivan with you. (re-worded carefully in attempt to avoid the ensuing meltdown...)
Brecken: Okay daddy, you comin in the minivan?
Eric: Yep, I'm coming to the minivan.
Brecken: You comin Daddy?
Eric: I'm coming.
Brecken: Okay Daddy. Y'ets [lets] go to the minivan.

I am so glad my son is mastering the use of intricate language. Really, I am. But seriously. Does it have to be this painful? To use the words of my older and wiser sister...I feel like I'm being pecked to death by chickens! :)

[Brecken dressed in his cap just like Daddy]