Simple Things

The past two days have been spent with Ember here at our house. This time around, unlike three months ago, she's no longer afraid of Grampa Ron. With his beard and mustache and deep voice, he can be intimidating to kids. She's matured and talks to him often on the phone, as well as I talk about him a lot, so when she got here yesterday, she ran right to him with a big hug and kiss. He was thrilled.

Simple things are: coloring on big paper and making any sort of marks or shapes you want; tossing a soft round ball up the stairs and watching it bounce back down; being given a deck of old cards and playing 52 pickup; trying to build a tower of blocks as high as possible; snuggling with Bear and Bunny on Grandma's lap (who enjoys it more?); finding Grandma's treadmill and walking on it with her; playing in the snow and being pulled by Grampa Ron in the sled.

I love doing all of these things and more, but as a 58-year-old adult, after a while they are boring. That's when I'm glad it's time for lunch or a nap or even 30 minutes of PBS programming for kids.

Adult simple things are: Pizza and a Killean's Red after daddy picks up Ember. LOL I'm not much of a drinker. An occasional glass of wine and, when the food and mood are in sync, a really cold bottle of Killean's Red beer.

Another adult simple thing: Hugging and being hugged by one's adult son. I remember his little-boy hugs as if they still happen, and his adult hugs and "Thanks, mom," are pretty damn good too.

Ember sayings: Do it! Peasssssssseee. Tank you. I yuv you, Gama. Where's Beah (bear)? Why not? I do it! Gama said No Touch. I pooped, Gama. Oh mannnnnnnn. No way!

Of course there are dozens more, Em's quite the talker, but these are dear to my heart. There's something about the sound of her voice and the look on her face that touches something deep inside me.

Life changes - The changes in Ember's life happen so quickly that we adults can't blink our eyes without missing something. Em can now communicate so we understand. Em is no longer afraid of Grampa Ron. Em runs freely around this big ole' house, without fear of getting lost. Em plays with the toys here with a maturity and thoroughness that was not present in December. The one thing that hasn't changed is that unknown to her on a conscious level is the trust she has for the adults in her life. The trust of a child is the most precious experience that can be experienced.