Ada loves talking about the garbage truck. We have been running to see it on Thursdays for almost a year. We hear it coming, and Hamid, Ada, or I say, “Garbage truck!”, and with quick eye contact, we run to the front door (formerly swooping her up), go out on the porch (usually in bathrobes/PJs) and wave at the garbage men — watching them (2-3 guys) do their amazing work. They are fast and quick, and amazingly coordinated and synchronized as they wheel a maze of multiple- drives & cans, a truly athletic spectacle! Ain’t no joke!

Garbage truck is a big part of our world & imaginations.

We talk about garbage truck driving around town. We see pickle, cracker, fish, and carrot driving cars, riding bicycles, and generally popping up, as we go about our business. It was the start of our first jokes, looking out a restaurant window 3-4 months ago, when we saw ‘pickle driving a car’. So garbage truck (& pickle and co.) are a big part of our lives here.

But Mr. Garbage truck is also curious because he took our Christmas tree! How weird that is?! Way back in December, Ada loved our Christmas tree. We got rid of it like everyone else in January. We put it out on the curb & we told Ada that the garbage truck took it, not thinking much of it. The next week she saw the garbage man pick up neighbor’s Christmas tree. How weird? What was that?

We did not realize it would require (now ongoing 6 months) of explanation. Its June, and Ada really still really wants to know: “Mr Garbage truck, where is my Christmas tree?”. Anyone have a good answer to this question? We try saying we’ll get another one in six months, when it gets cold out at Christmas time. But she’s more fixated than that. Its specific, “When is the Garbage truck going to bring it?”. She wants to know and ask them, “When can I have it back?”

She asks a lot. Now, with her newest vocabulary of a week or two of mastery, she’s told us, “I really like my Christmas tree”, “Can we get another one?”

Oh Mr. Garbage truck, where did you take our Christmas tree?

You know, Ada’s right. That is a good question.

What a weird, modern phenomena.