Today, my husband's daughter asked us
to watch her child while she and her boyfriend went to a baseball
game. It didn't seem like a bad idea. Haydin is darn cute. How much
work could it be? “Sure” I gamely responded. Here are my thoughts
since then.
I swear I chose right in not having
kids.
If I'd have had them, they never would
have lived. Four year olds are like puppies with thumbs and cleverer
thoughts. They don't chew up feather pillows, but they do: spread
kitty kibble all around your porch and swear it was the cat's tail
that did it, notice a basket of vegetables you recently brought in
from the garden and decide much joy can be had by squishing one of
the tomatoes over all the other vegetables, decide it is great fun to
pretend to be a dog and proceed to bite grandpa in the calf over and
over, and take my collection of peacock feathers and proceed to
either give them to Maya the puppy or dip them in water and sprinkle it across
my school books. At one point she demanded we play hide and seek. She
hid behind my chair. I said, "um, there you are." I did it
wrong apparently.
"NO! You have to only look one way
like crabby crab (from some cartoon I don't know about) and say
'Where is Haydin'. "
I said "but I can see you right
there!"
“NNNNNOOOOOOOOO! You have to look one
way and say where is Haydin!"
I obediently stared at the door and
said “where is Haydin?”
There was no answer. I looked at the
fish tank “Where is Haydin?” I tried again. I look down at her
crouching behind my chair. “This is silly, I see you right there”
“NOOOOOO.... you have to pretend you
don't see me”
And so I pretended to not see her. This
gave her much pleasure. I remained completely confused.
Thankfully, or not, she discovered the
bell on my side table and proceeded to ring it about the house
endlessly. Earlier she had discovered the flashlight, which obviously
brought her great joy, especially when she could shine it directly
into my eyes.
It was a long day. It was a lovely day.
It was a very unusual day for me. I spent it learning from a four year old.
Thank you Haydin.
