Kittens, Mud puddles, and Mountains…

Tuesday was our first weekly family BBQ of the season. Great fun stuff. It was a bit misty and wet out, but not too bad. J is totally in love with being at Grandpa’s house. It’s like Disney land for a two year old. Especially now. There are 17 little baby kittens there right now, all residing in the garage for easy toddler access. We have to observe closely and intervene frequently in order to avoid a real life portrayal of “Of Mice and Men.” J is totally in love with cats. And Grandpa’s house is the only place he really comes in contact with them. So, 17 baby cats that can’t run away from him before he can catch them…….is heaven for him!

After we got there J was roaming about the place. I’m surprised by how much more I have relaxed in recent months in regards to his safety. I don’t hover and feel the need to be at arm’s length all the time. Of course, I’m on top of him when he heads in the direction of the road, and I always have my eyes on him. But I no longer envision him tripping and poking an eye out on every tiny stick in the yard! So, when he took off across the backyard giggling in delight, I was content to stand back and allow him to enjoy the feeling of freedom. When he got about half way across the yard, much farther than I was capable of catching up with quickly, I suddenly remembered something my dad had mentioned to me that morning…….standing water in the back yard. Yep. At that very moment, I see J barrel full speed into the puddle, splashing water up in great sprays as high as his head and laughing himself silly! Then he fell over. Of course, this does not phase a little boy. He simply stood up and kept on running, while I slowly sauntered across the year shaking my head and hoping there were plenty of extra clothes in the diaper bag. It was a cool evening. As he neared the field at the edge of the property, I yelled out to him and told him he’d gone far enough. I didn’t want to chase him out through that muddy mess! We’ve had rains almost daily for weeks on end now. Thankfully, he listened to me and turned around to come back…….through the puddle once more. His grin was classic, his delight almost tangible. His shoe became mired in the mud and this confused him. He pulled on it, lost his balance, and fell once again into the water. He was soaked on one arm and from the waist down. It was all I could do to wrangle him into the house to get him changed. I wonder if the neighbors thought someone was being tortured. He was furious. I was thankful that I’d just bought some plastic shoes for him the previous weekend! Simply rinse, dry, and re-shoe! He only owns one pair of tennis shoes that fit him, and had he been wearing those, they’d have taken forever to dry out!

By the time we were done with wardrobe change, it was about time to eat. Everything was set up in the shop and J was all to happy to run out there looking for “Gampa,” after one last visit with the kittens, of course. We got him inside and quickly pulled the doors closed so we could contain him. Supper was yummy, but J was being picky as usual. He refused his hot dog and deviled egg, opting instead to fill up on chips and puffcorn. He even turned down a cookie! (Yes, I checked him for fever, temp was normal.) Of course, he was done and ready to explore long before the adults were done eating and talking. Everyone else seemed to worry and to gasp when he approached a stack of boards, a bucket of tools, or whatever else they deemed a hazard. I just told him to dust himself off after he fell. These are the same folks who used to laugh at me for being overly protective. How did this change occur? LOL

Uncle J decided to provide some distraction and attempted to teach little J to play pool. With vigilance, he managed to convince J that the balls belong on the table, not the floor. This was confusing to little J at first, having been praised for a “good throw!” for the past year! But soon he was happily rolling balls across the table and he figured out how to retrieve them from within the pockets. Grampa also had a cool remote controlled car and that was of great interest for a while.

Eventually, the party began to break up and we cleaned up the table and opened the doors, releasing J into the thrill of dusk. He shouted “on the mountain!” and ran for the sand pile. Grunting and groaning, he edged his way to the top of the pile, clinging for support when his feet slipped repeatedly in the perilously loose gravel. He ascended safely to the peak of his mountain, steadied himself and stood tall at the apex, chest puffed out with pride in his accomplishment. His head slowly turned side to side, and I beamed with motherly pride watching him ‘take in’ the view from this new elevation. He was quite intrigued, as you can surely imagine. After all, the world is a very different place when you are two whole feet “up in the sky!” Always up for adventure, he then ran headlong down the back side of his mountain, and invited his Gampa to climb back up with him and share this glorious wonder. After several more feats of climbing skill, I announced it was time to go home, and he lovingly passed out hugs and kisses to everyone. I strapped him into his carseat and all the way home he chatted with me all about his “dirty shoes…in the dirt.” When we got home, we dumped about a quarter cup of sand out of his shoes, stripped him naked, and he had a nice bath.

All in all, it was a fabulous evening for the both of us, and we look forward to having fun next week as well. Tonight, it’s fun on the farm, as our Auntie T is home for a brief visit and we’ll gather at Grams’ house for dinner. I’m sure J will take me for a walk up the drive to the landlord’s barn. He finds it quite amazing to be able to see a truck, a van, a boat, a tractor, hay and wheat all in the same location! Not to mention the cows just around the corner. And of course, the joy of hugging the neck of a dog who is big enough to stand eye to eye with him. God bless Cocoa for her patience and sweet temper. I promise to get some new pics up soon. I know I’ve been a slacker in that department.

God’s richest blessings to you today.