Four is a very literal age

This weekend Elliot, Audrey and I and went for a hike on Fowler Trail¹. As always Elliot was playing with sticks along the way. At some point he showed me a stick and said, “look Daddy, it’s a gun”. I replied, “Oh, OK”. I am not a bit fan of gun play, but I realize that it is inevitable so I just try not to make a big deal out of it. Elliot was, predictably, completely unfazed by my lack of enthusiasm and continued playing with his “gun”.

At about the one mile mark the trail leaves Eldorado Canyon State Park and there is a sign with several icons indicating what is and isn’t allowed on the trail past that point. Elliot asked me what the sign said, so I told him, “it says no dogs, no camping, no fires and no guns”. Elliot immediately says, “oh” and drops the stick gun right there in the middle of the trail.