Monday, October 19, 2009

Soaking It In

About six times a day William asks me if he can go to the park.

Roughly that many times I respond no.

It's too cold.

It's too windy.

It's dark.

It's raining.

Lucy's sleeping.

On and on the excuses go.

But today was one of the last warm days here in good ol' Minnesota. So I set the excuses aside and packed up his standard peanut butter and honey sandwich along with a sliced apple and we headed to the park for a lunch date.

The two parks that are near our house are both a part of an elementary school so we have to time our visits just right so we don't get clobbered by schoolchildren on recess.

I smiled as we neared "the red park" because I saw students lining up and heading indoors. Perfect timing!

We played. We ate. We tilted our heads to the sky and tried to soak in every last drop of sunshine.

But then I heard the sounds of many feet running toward us. It was the sixth-graders turn for recess.

I told William it was time to go but he waved me away not wanting to miss his chance to play with the older kids.

Those kids were big. They were loud. And they burped. They didn't say excuse me when they bumped into Lucy's stroller and they jumped feet first onto the bench I was sitting on. There were dares and teases and kids being left out.

I looked at my little guy who suddenly seemed a lot more little than he did earlier that day. Those big blue eyes of his watched in wonder. I could see that sponge of a brain of his absorbing more than I was ready to take on.

So I walked over to where he was standing and playfully scooped him up, cradled him in my arms and buried my nose into his cold, rosy cheeks while I drowned him in kisses.

He smiled and he laughed and he giggled.

Someday I know he won't smile or laugh or giggle when I do that. Someday he will be one of those sixth-graders.

But for today he was simply my two-going-on-three-year-old lunch date. How quickly I was reminded to soak in every last drop of that.

"How about we go to the other park and you and me will do races up the hill?!" I said.

"OK!" He said enthusiastically like it was the best idea he had ever heard.

Someday I'll look back on a day like today and remember when my little boy still considered me to be his best friend forever.

And so continues the age old battle of kids trying to grow up too fast and parents trying to keep them little forever.

5 comments:

  1. ohhh,i remember feeling that same way when Christopher was little,that sweet innocence just cant be replaced! Hold on to those special times they are gone in a heartbeat it seems,Nancy

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  2. Tears Jenny as I feel the exact same way. Big tears when i read this because I was just "exposed" to that same thing when I was out with our cousins lately and was floored at how protective I became of my little boy and how innocent he is. Soaking him in as much as he'll let me. Hope you are well.

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  3. It's too cold? Wear a snowsuit and scarf!
    It's too windy? Fly a kite!
    It's dark? Play flashlight tag!
    It's raining? Unfurl an umbrella and splash through the puddles!
    Lucy's sleeping? Let her nap in the stroller!

    Laundry and dust bunnies will be there forever. William will be two-going-on-three for only the blink of an eye.

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  4. This is a great post, you couldn't have written that any better!

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  5. Good for you for enjoying those moments, Jenny...and for "soaking it all in."

    Your post made me smile - and tear up a little too.

    stephanie@metropolitanmama.net

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