Another collection of what Ivan has said.

Eric assembled the backyard play dome while Ivan was napping. Upon coming out and seeing it and doing a bit of climbing he said, “Thank you, Daddy, for this dome.” Unprompted politeness and genuine gratitude are the cutest.

While pointing at the zookeeper’s house in the book Goodnight, Gorilla Ivan said, “That’s the dear house.” As each animal’s cage is shown, the reader says goodnight to that animal. “Goodnight, Elephant.” “Goodnight, Armadillo.” In the zookeeper’s house, his wife says, “Goodnight, Dear.” Logic tells Ivan that this makes the house “The Dear House.” I spent too long thinking, “But, Ivan, there are no deer in this story,” before I caught up with Ivan’s logic.

“No, I want REAL yogurt.” Ivan has started calling the-thing-he-wants the “real” one. So, I’ve offered him a real yogurt not his preferred kind or a real shirt but not the Spider-man one or real shoes but not the green ones. He will push them away demanding the “real” one.

“When I get big and am a grown-up, I will eat spicy things.”

Ivan started pulling random condiments out of the fridge. When told he was not allowed and should stop, he pointed at Grandma Tam and said, “She started it.” While true that Tam had taken sandwich fixings for lunch from the fridge, Ivan had missed that she was not playing a fun new game.

Siblings:
e: I want to be alone!
i: How about stop being grumpy, Ezri?
e: ROAR!
i: AHHHHHHHHHHHH! (giggles)

Parent quotes that made sense in context:
“Ivan, your sister is NOT a cow trampoline.”
“There is no TA-DA! in naptime.”