Balloons are so last year

At the nursery/florists, the cashiers asked Max if he wanted a balloon. "No," he said. Are you sure? Yes, he insisted, and we went blithely outside and he didn't mention it again.

Which brings me to think about how he recently has only enjoyed balloons when he is able to release them straight up into the air as soon as he gets outside with them. He doesn't cry or get sad. When I tried to force him to keep a balloon, and explained how the balloons pop and become litter and birds eat them and die, he only seemed to be more excited. After Niamh's birthday on Sunday, he released his balloon directly on stepping out her front door, and then said, "Now the birds are going to get the balloon in their belly and choke!" Niamh's father was like, "What?" and I just shrugged as if I had no idea what Max was talking about.