Sunday, April 21, 2013

Four



I just spent the weekend with my lively grandson, Abel, who is quick to tell anyone who's listening (or not) how old he is. I have to admit that for as long as I can remember, four- year-olds have always intrigued me. I love how spontaneous and unaffected they are, how independent and free-spirited, and how incredibly smart they are.  For instance, when Abel stated he was "feeling juicy" as he wiped his hands on his shirt after consuming a vast quantity of watermelon, I suggested that just maybe he needed a bath. With one eyebrow raised, he looked me up and down and exclaimed, "That would make me feel even more watery!" 

Okay. I found it interesting that the word "sticky" was not brought into the conversation. I could see that he also considered it a great imposition to wash his hands when he came inside from playing T-ball. Again, he considered swiping his grimy hands across the front of his shirt Good Enough.  Again, I got The Raised Eyebrow.

The weekend didn't go quite according to plan, but Mr. Master Negotiator managed to work everything out. After enjoying a cheeseburger with ketchup, a game of golf on the Wii, two stories and five bedtime songs, I tucked him into the trundle bed in my office. He balked at first because the bedspread was different than last time he was here. I had to show him that the reversible quilt was the same, just flipped around. Somehow, he managed to convince me to turn it over.  We kissed. We hugged. We talked about the plans for the morning.  I suggested we go to "Betty's Homestyle Cooking" for breakfast, but he scowled just like "Calvin" in the famous comic strip and announced he was going to "Boot 'n Buckle"

Alas, our planned overnight deteriorated when Abel adamantly decided my doors "weren't strong enough to hold out bad people" and he wanted to sleep in his own bed. At his house. Across town. No amount of cajoling, bribery, or showing him the alarm system (the noise it made was scary), could convince him otherwise. Thank goodness it was only 9 p.m. and not 2 a.m., when I would not have been so easily swayed.

In short order, he was toted out to my vehicle and driven home with the promise that I would return to fetch him in 12 hours. On the drive back to his house, I consoled myself by listening to "Wake Me in the Night", a song written for his boy by my son-in-law, Chris Lajoie, a member of the band, String Tide. When Abel  was snuggling into his daddy’s arms in the driveway, he conceded we could go to my breakfast place of choice, further melting my heart. 

As  promised,I showed up at 9 a.m. where I was once again greeted by my favorite four-year-old, dressed in his fluorescent orange ball cap and fleece jacket. A very sleepy Mommy and Daddy, still clad in their jammies, let me know that just because a certain someone went to bed late does not equate to a morning of sleeping in. Apparently, Abel’s feet had hit the floor well before 6:00 a.m. I snickered silently to myself, trying not to let on that I had slept until 8:15.

After taking the little guy off their hands, we headed to “Betty’s” where my grandson slurped down a glass of apple juice in two seconds flat then devoured a pile of bacon and one bite of an English muffin. He was more than ready to start his day and we were off to play lacrosse in my backyard followed by Wii in the living room. When noon arrived he was ravenous but that didn’t stop him from giving me strict instructions on how to prepare his grilled cheese sandwich, saying “to make it look burned, but don’t really burn it.”  Got it. There’s nothing like a kid who thinks he’s a grilled cheese connoisseur.  

Another thing I like about people this age: they don’t beat around the bush. They say what’s on their minds, like, “You smell.” “That tastes yucky." "That shirt is ugly.” See, you know where you stand, which saves all kinds of time and energy. 

I also like their practicality. For example, Abel often skips wearing pajamas, opting to put on a clean set of clothes at night so when he wakes at the crack of dawn, he’s ready to seize the day. I wouldn’t recommend this to a business executive, but for someone who plays in the dirt making motor sounds and rearranging rocks, I think it’s a pretty good idea.

As you can see, Abel is always teaching me something new, but right now I need to go take a nap. It’s been an awfully busy couple of days.







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