His sweet, happy smile when his pre-school teacher sees me in the pick up line and lets him leave the class. I observe his confident gait, proudly holding his latest artwork in one hand while the other takes my hand.
Oh, and the ride home, peeking in my rear-view mirror and listening to him chat about life from his four-year-old perspective. It would be a good idea to find a slow way home.
"So what are we going to do when we get to your house?" he wants to know. I tell him that I have bun dough rising and that we can bake buns. I suggest that we can make chocolate muffins if he wants to and tell him that we can play games and maybe watch The Donut Man.
"Those are four plans." he says, processing just a tad ahead of me.
He talks for a while and suddenly I hear, "and that's the end of the story ... but now I want to tell you something that's not a story." Too late, I realize I missed it.
He wants to know what I do when Papa and he are not with me. Good question.
Is it possible that he enjoys entertaining me because he doesn't have to compete with three sisters on this ride? I hear him make mention of his job site. Although this is familiar language in our family, I am surprised how young they start these days! I ask, "you have a job site?" to which he responds that he has seven job sites! Obviously I have some questions about his involvement!
At home we work and play together, from pinching buns to reading a stack of books of his choice, which is most likely my favorite thing. His mind, like a sponge, taking it all in, every picture, every lesson, every detail. Would that time could stand still!
I treasure this time, knowing that in reality, one day, after many other days, I may barely remember it! So how will he? And yet, specifics remembered or not, life has a way of taking that invisible thread, gathering experiences and love shared, to play a part in who we become. No matter how far he goes, may this love go with him all his days.
❤❤❤
8 comments:
Oh how I love this post. What a sweet time with your youngest! I'll be watching JJ tomorrow and will see what his 2 year old being expresses. He doesn't have a clear vocabulary yet so there is a lot of guesswork on my part. Anneliese you write so well and express what transpires between you and your grands beautifully. Makes me tear up...
This is wonderful, Anneliese. I love spending time with the little ones and sometimes write down things to remember in years to come. Iris' zest for life and her expressive face make me laugh out loud at times. Such preciousness.
Ellen, thank you! Threading it together took me a while ... it would be easy if there was a recording in the car. =) You have some wonderful times ahead! I can tell by the cute smirk on JJ's face that he will entertain you with lots of stories.
Lorrie, their speech in these early years is precious indeed! Add to that their expressions, like you say! I also don't want to correct their grammar because how they say it is the way I want to remember and keep it. Is that difficult as a teacher? Sadly, often times it's only a memory if I repeat it to someone or write it down, which rarely happens in time.
I agree with Ellen - this made me tear up too. Such sweet words to express your love for this little lad. What a joy it is when you can have these conversations and know what they are thinking. He is adorable and will remember these days with his beloved Mimi! We are enjoying this stage with our little guy too.
What a beautiful post, Anneliese!
Such sweet moments! It's impossible to document it all, but the snippets we write down capture the essence of these precious times. Beautifully written, as usual, Anneliese!
Thank you, Elsie. you being the writer! ❤
So beautiful! I’m hoping you compile all your blog posts into a book. Such precious memories documented here!
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