As for the boys, the Bear is learning twenty or so new words a day. Bathroom, dinosaur, window, mailbox, lettuce, rectangle, the list goes on and on. He said the word "slimy" today and I marveled at the monumental benchmark of his departure from endless nouns into the bright new world of adjectives. It's a bit like the Secret Garden really---little Mary carried around that old rusted garden key all day with a secret smile and a happy musing over the beautiful world that lay just beyond the garden wall and then when the ivy curtain swung away the wooden door finally creaked open and what precious treasure tumbled forth! The Bear is just beginning to use his key and I know the bounty of words beyond the garden wall are about to open up.
We read books now! We don't just look at pictures and point out familiar objects. He can understand the stories and share in the emotions each character is feeling. I feel this shock of electricity throughout my whole being when I remember all the books I want to show him. I'll be introducing him to so many worlds I sought comfort and adventure in as a child. I can't wait to take him to all those places!
Cubby is a tornado of personality and motion. At times baby-proofing for him feels akin to an attempt at preserving fine china in the midst of an elephant march for he is charged with energy throughout the entire day and surges forward at full strength, plowing down everything in his path. He is such a beautiful boy. I already pity those future broken-hearted girls, hopelessly lost in the oceanic depths of his sparkly blue eyes. He has a strong character and a sweet charm about him. I love his new found passion for crawling at lightning speed and the way he rubs his thumb over his new teeth. The cheeky glow about him when he peeks over at us with a sly smile is priceless. He is a joy.
Both boys are enjoying the somewhat cooler weather, if 83 degrees qualifies as "cooler." Our afternoons are filled with the tempting possibilities of tea and naps. We've experimented with sidewalk chalk and pumpkin seeds and discovered that both are still not age appropriate. But we do enjoy Beatles Brunch on Thursdays and the daily strolls in the doubles jogger with J. The Bear and Cubby especially enjoy visiting my Abuelos and spending time in their backyards. I remember arriving at their homes when I was a child and racing t0 the backyard where upon I would lose myself in a mango tree for a few hours at the helm of my imagination. The boys seems to be similarly inclined...
Just yesterday I arrived at my Abuela's house to retrieve the Bear from his afternoon play date. I walked into the backyard close to the twilight hour. The top of the sky, frothed in pinks and glossy purple hues, had just enough orange sunlight left to send beams of gold through the dark layered screens of the mamey tree. And there, beneath the tree, sat my little Bear, wreathed in sunlight and looking quite angelic. My grandparents sat close by, watching him dig happily in the dirt with a small red shovel. His curls were damp and his right cheek was streaked with dirt, he looked thoroughly happy and undeniably tired. It seemed like a moment recalled from a deep memory. I did not want to break the beautiful silence that surrounded that later afternoon hour, if I spoke a word those beams of sunlight would retreat back through the leaves and into the heavens and the memory would be lost. Thankfully I watched, unnoticed, for a few minutes. The beams departed on their own accord and the magic dissipated when the Bear saw me and dissolved into tears of exhaustion and relief. I cradled him in my arms, kissed him and carried him to the car, all the while remembering that although he is a big brother, he is a baby yet.
No comments:
Post a Comment