"What you doin'?"

This is what conversation in our house is like the last few days:

Abe points to something, even if he knows what it is, and says, "What that?"

We answer. He then asks, "What that ______ doin'?"

Repeat this dialogue times a thousand, plus throw in a few Happy Birthday to You's and the theme to the opera Carmen, and you've got a good idea of what our house sounds like.

Abe points to the hand towel in the bathroom and says, "What that?"

"A towel."

"What that towel doin'?"

[You may choose to answer or not, depending on how nonsensical the answer could be.]

"Just hanging there."

Next one:

"What that?"

"A bagel."

"What that bagel doin'?"

"Being eaten."

[We use a lot of the passive voice]

Of course we also hear a lot of "What you doin's?" All. Day. Long.

"What that?"

"A puddle."

"What that puddle doin'?"

"Just sitting there being wet and getting stepped in."