I took the Little Man to the car wash this morning for the first time in quite a while. It was the first time we’d been there since changing around his car seat to face forward. Now, I can remember when I was very little, I used to be afraid of the car wash. But not the Little Man. As we drove in, I explained to him that a robot was going to wash our car.

It was a completely automated car wash, and indeed, a robot-like arm proceeded to soap, rinse, wax, and otherwise wash the car. The Little Man loved it! When the robot arm would pass by his window spraying soap or water, he would shriek with delight, laughing and clapping. He seemed genuinely disappointed when it was all over. As I pulled the car out of the car wash, I said to him, ‘What do you say, buddy?”

And would you believe the kid’s response? “Thank you, robot,” he said, in his voluble, two-year old voice.