Izzy has a girlfriend.

And her name is Dora. She's an explorer. I first noticed the growing infatuation when he started saying "backpack" every time she implored him to. Or, in Izzy vernacular, "baa paa." Then tonight we went to Big Lots and bought him a miniature replica of his lady love. She says, "Hola, my name is Dora!," some phrase in Spanish that I can't quite make out, but I think is, "We did it!" and she plays her theme song.

Dora came with a little card that had her picture on it. I handed it to Izzy, who immediately laughed with pleasure and held it up close to examine it. He gazed upon it with such love and admiration. The kind of look that every mommy secretly craves to have bestowed upon her. He'd look at his card, then he'd look at me as if he was asking, "Isn't she just lovely?," and then immediately his gaze would be drawn back to Dora.

He gently caressed the little musical note on her belly. As she sang, "Do, de, do, do, de, do dee," he began to sway in time to the harmony. She finished her song, he stopped his dancing, and he said with glee, "We did it!"