Mama, You can play with me?

Saturday July 5, 2008

For how many years will I have the honor to be your number one friend? How many times will you ask me “Mama, you can play with me?” Caleb, you appear to be changing day by day. Each few days you are demonstrating a new grasp on your world, or if you have already had this grasp – you are now able to communicate it.

We are in Asotin, Washington on the Snake River at the mouth of Hells Canyon visiting your Aunt Julie and Uncle Corey Mullins and cousins Mickenzie (12) and Macy (7). You are having the time of your life. Each day, you get up and leave our cozy little guest house (w/o permission, of course) and head over to Aunt Julie’s house to begin your day of play with the girls. All day, you follow around Mickenzie or Macy – hand in hand as they lead you from coloring to playing with toys to swinging on the swing set. Hand in hand you go.

Today we played in the Snake River. You wore the girls’ pink butterfly life jacket, as there were no others and swam in your pj shorts, as we forgot to bring yours.....but that was just fine with you. You were too cold to get into the water and play with Papa, but after a couple of hours at the beach, you started to get more and more into the water as you played ball with everyone and showed us how you could splash.

You take us by the hand and say, “I can show you something”....and proceed to show us how you can swing by yourself on the airplane swing, or show us to the refrigerator to show us a popsicle, which you then say” I can have one? Yes? Ok”. J Tonight, after I laid baby Emet down to sleep in the guest house, I came out to hear you say, “Mama, You can play with me?” My heart melted. I said, “Sure, Caleb”. You led me to the swing set, where I started to push you on the airplane swing. You said, “No, don’t push me. You swing with me.” As I sat down, you said, “Mama, so – how are your tidbits”. (something I always ask Papa at the end of each work day, asking him for the highlights of his day...though I say “Do you have any tidbits?” Of course, we now always say, “So, how are your tidbits”. Who could resist?