Possible explanation

E's purple obsession is more than just a cute quirk -- it interferes with logic. When reading her book about the 50 states today, for example, she insisted that Kansas is her state. I pointed to Maryland repeatedly. "This is where you live, love. MARYLAND." "NO. THIS is my state." Why Kansas? It's purple on the map.

She repeatedly pulls the same two books off of our bookshelf. One is a history of the Reconstructionist Jewish movement (that I'm not even sure why we're keeping) and the other is Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom. Both books have vibrant purple colors, so they're "my favorite," she says.

And even though she's not potty-trained, she wears purple unders every day. Over her diapers.

So Grams picked up the bottle of purple nail polish that E favors. "Hmm," Grams says. "Do you know that her purple color is called 'Art of Noise?'"