Turner stands at the top of the stairs and yells, "Mommy!" It is loud enough to warrant dropping everything in my lap into the floor and taking off running for the stairs. Turner is dragging, step by step, toward me.
"What's wrong?"
"I saw you when you got off my pillow."
"Oh yeah." I kneel at the bottom and wait for him to make his way down the stairs.
"Yeah. And, I was mad at you because I wanted you to stay on my pillow and sleep with me all the time until I waked up." He rubs his eyes a bit and drops down another stair.
"Well I can't sleep wiht you forever. I stayed until I knew you were dreaming."
"Well, I'm mad at you."
"How would I get dinner ready if I watched you sleep in your bed?"
He meets me on the stairs. Looks up at me and says, "That's your problem." Then, quietly and with little hesitation he leans in and kisses me. "Can I have a snack now?"
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Breakfast
Andy is the cereal-buyer 'round here, which means there is always "special" cereal, made with sugar, bright boxes, characters, and colorful parts in a bowl. At this moment we have: Cap'n Crunch's Crunch Berries, Apple Jacks, Lucky Charms, and "Bee cereal" (Honey nut Cheerios). Turner and I eat Special K. On the weekends Turner gets to eat special cereal. For the past few weekends Turner has eaten through the special cereal that Andy no longer wants (first Honeycomb and then the Lucky Charms). The Apple Jacks are unopened and must have a looming aura around it beckoning to Turner. Each Saturday he asks if we've finished the other special cereal so he can have the green box.
This Saturday Andy pours the two Cap'n Crunch's Crunch Berries. Turner protests, sure that the time has finally come to enjoy the green box. The Old Captain got opened mid-week, so it seems only fair to let Turner have Apple Jacks (he's never eaten them before, mind you). Turner pulls a box out of the cupboard that is about half the size of his body and he says, "It's time to eat these." Andy points to the table and says, "You don't want these? They have berries." Turner says no and then inches closer to the table to check out the cereal loot in his Eistein's bowl. He is tempted. He puts the green box back in the cabinet and says, "I think I'll take that kind." He retrieves a spoon and places himself in front of a very full sugary, milky combination of breakfast. I ask, "What do you think about that cereal?"
"Can't tell you."
Andy says, "Turner, Mommy asked you a question."
"I'm busy."
This Saturday Andy pours the two Cap'n Crunch's Crunch Berries. Turner protests, sure that the time has finally come to enjoy the green box. The Old Captain got opened mid-week, so it seems only fair to let Turner have Apple Jacks (he's never eaten them before, mind you). Turner pulls a box out of the cupboard that is about half the size of his body and he says, "It's time to eat these." Andy points to the table and says, "You don't want these? They have berries." Turner says no and then inches closer to the table to check out the cereal loot in his Eistein's bowl. He is tempted. He puts the green box back in the cabinet and says, "I think I'll take that kind." He retrieves a spoon and places himself in front of a very full sugary, milky combination of breakfast. I ask, "What do you think about that cereal?"
"Can't tell you."
Andy says, "Turner, Mommy asked you a question."
"I'm busy."
Friday, May 16, 2008
His legs are so long that he is the entire length of the bathtub, head to toe
Tonight was the program picnic. Two hours after its start time, Turner and I plod across the parking lot just as the director starts to make announcements. The picnic, "with boys and big girls to play with," has been held as a reward for a well-behaved Turner in the grocery and while I made a salad for the picnic. Yet, we arrive at precisely the moment he must continue being still and silent. If nothing, "three" has shown us a boy incapable of still and silent.
The moment I sense his whine to emerge I bend to him and say, "Do you see that man up there talking? That is Mommy's boss. When he stops talking, you can talk." He obliges, and the people up front later than sooner, cease speaking. He plays soccer with the medley of people eager to offer him undivided attention. The sun lasts about an hour, during which I finally get to eat something and Turner scores on all of my female friends at the soccer net. He comes to me while I am speaking to the director about comp lists. I pass him a plate of food and facilitate the bartering system of what he must eat to get to dessert. Tom and I continue to speak while Turner nibbles. Just as we are discussing the largeness of Turner's vocabulary and how smart he is, Turner says, "My mom is smart too," a piece of chocolate cupcake dangling from his pucker. Tom replies to him and Turner says, "Yeah. She reads lots of books, and she listens to ALL my stories." His stories, of course, are all that I know of life right now, and I love it.
The moment I sense his whine to emerge I bend to him and say, "Do you see that man up there talking? That is Mommy's boss. When he stops talking, you can talk." He obliges, and the people up front later than sooner, cease speaking. He plays soccer with the medley of people eager to offer him undivided attention. The sun lasts about an hour, during which I finally get to eat something and Turner scores on all of my female friends at the soccer net. He comes to me while I am speaking to the director about comp lists. I pass him a plate of food and facilitate the bartering system of what he must eat to get to dessert. Tom and I continue to speak while Turner nibbles. Just as we are discussing the largeness of Turner's vocabulary and how smart he is, Turner says, "My mom is smart too," a piece of chocolate cupcake dangling from his pucker. Tom replies to him and Turner says, "Yeah. She reads lots of books, and she listens to ALL my stories." His stories, of course, are all that I know of life right now, and I love it.
Friday, May 2, 2008
The Proud Pa Pa - A Call to Action
Turner is a proud Pa Pa. As of sometime yesterday, his snail had twins!
They are tiny little guys and/or girls with a lot of energy. They just creep all over the place with their bodies - which are about the size of the end of a pen - plugging them along the rock or the side of the tank. When he woke up this morning I used this new "surprise" as motivation to get him in the shower (can't go downstairs until we are clean, of course). When we make it down the stairs I point out the babies to him and the questions commence. Surprisingly, I did not have answers this time. So I'm posting this as a shout out to those of you with answers. Call Turner and let him know: why there are two, where they came from, how they move, what "those longish things" are, how the mommy had the babies, when were they born, how fast they will grow, what we should name them, will there be more, what do they eat, do they like milk, when will they die (we've been having some troubles in the fish department), and where's the daddy (not sure how to explain asexual without also explaining sex)?
They are tiny little guys and/or girls with a lot of energy. They just creep all over the place with their bodies - which are about the size of the end of a pen - plugging them along the rock or the side of the tank. When he woke up this morning I used this new "surprise" as motivation to get him in the shower (can't go downstairs until we are clean, of course). When we make it down the stairs I point out the babies to him and the questions commence. Surprisingly, I did not have answers this time. So I'm posting this as a shout out to those of you with answers. Call Turner and let him know: why there are two, where they came from, how they move, what "those longish things" are, how the mommy had the babies, when were they born, how fast they will grow, what we should name them, will there be more, what do they eat, do they like milk, when will they die (we've been having some troubles in the fish department), and where's the daddy (not sure how to explain asexual without also explaining sex)?
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