indecisive, but with killer comedic timing

I've often had issues with being indecisive.  I'll stand in a store staring at a shelf or rack for literally 10 minutes or more, debating in my head if I really like that shirt enough to justify buying it, or do I really think D will like that toy for longer than 10 minutes, etc.  I read once that a classic sign of a potential shoplifter is someone who keeps returning to a particular shelf or corner of a store, and I wonder how many clerks have kept their eye on me because I do the exact.same.thing. while debating whether or not to buy something.

Unfortunately, it appears I have passed this, um, shall we call it lovely? trait onto my son.

He'll ask to do one thing, then as I'm helping him get to it he'll then start freaking out and apparently wanting this OTHER thing, not THAT thing, and then I try to help him help me figure out what this OTHER thing is, except he won't tell me (perhaps because he himself isn't sure yet), and we go back and forth and it's not pretty.  And the thing is, his language skills are skyrocketing to such an amazing level that he is or at least should be able to tell me what he wants or what he's thinking a lot of the time, and that's AMAZING. I so so so love it when I ask him a question and he gives me an immediate and firm yes or no answer, or when he tells me exactly what he wants to eat.  But it makes these other times, the times when I give him two choices and he just stares at me blankly (when I know he understands), or worse yet makes it quite clear neither choice is ok and then screams and makes that funny little scrunched-up pouty face at me (lucky it's so darn cute), those seem that much worse because I'm starting to get used to him actually using his words.

Last night he had just finished eating and was getting down from his high chair and I think I asked him if he wanted me to bring his chair to the sink so he could wash his hands while standing on it, and he very adamantly said no and seemed to be going off to play, then suddenly started crying and throwing a fit and I guess he'd changed his mind and he DID want to go to the sink except he hadn't bothered to try to communicate this to me before getting all mad, and we went back and forth for several minutes while I tried to figure out just what exactly was going on.  I finally realized he wanted me to move his chair to the sink, and so I did, but while doing so I looked over at Zach and uttered a loud "DUDE!!" out of frustration.

Next thing I hear, Donovan yells out his own high-pitched "DUUUUUUDE!!" and is looking at me with a big smile on his face, because I think he knew he had just done something really, really cute.  And I couldn't help but burst out laughing.

And, see, this is why toddlers don't end up on the curb next to the garbage and recycling on trash day.  Because just when you're on your last nerve, they'll go and do something so incredibly adorable that you just have to laugh, and that urge to toss them out the window melts into an irresistible desire to gobble them up in kisses.