Seltzer?! U-Bet! It's the little things in life that can make a difference. And one of those things making a difference in our daily lives is a simple can of seltzer.
While many suburban couples are mixing equal parts of gin and vermouth, our version of the after-work martini is the egg cream, a concoction consisting of seltzer (carbonated water), Fox's U-Bet chocolate syrup, and milk. A twelve-ounce can of seltzer is sufficient for two egg creams, with about two ounces to spare.

Zoe has no interest in trying an egg cream, which is sort of surprising seeing as two of the three ingredients form chocolate milk, which she demands at every meal. But she nonetheless takes great interest in watching me mix them, laughing as the foamy white head rushes to the top of the glass while I plead with it to stop before it overflows. And she takes even more interest in the remaining seltzer.

She pleads for the leftovers, but this is one of the tougher words to pronounce. "Setzer, Papa!" The magical property of seltzer--its ability to induce a nice, healthy burp--is intriguing to her. She takes a swig, and before she can put the can down, lets loose with a barrage that would put the late Foster Brooks to shame. "'Scuse me!" We both laugh hysterically.

On an occasional egg creamless night, Zoe will request seltzer at bedtime. And there's no way I can refuse, seeing as 1) it's just water, 2) she's wearing a pullup, and 3) it makes for an incredible bonding experience as we take turns sipping, belching and hugging.

I somehow knew life with Zoe would be a gas. Little did I know that gas would turn out to be carbon dioxide.

Papa's Postscript: Less than 48 hours after posting, Zoe had her first egg cream, proclaiming "I like that!"  ¶ 5:33 PM