My four grandchildren squeezed into the two foot by two foot by three foot cubby near the floor meant to hold audio video equipment for a home theater in our room above the garage. The shelves and door were never installed. A hand-painted blue and green tree lined canvas rests against the back wall secreting …
Left-Handed
Two year old Timothy’s Cheerios sat untouched in front of him. He had been restless during the night and had only been awake for about ten minutes. His mom had listed his options for breakfast before pouring his cereal and placing it in front of him. Thinking he was still half asleep, I spooned up …
Me, Myself & I
The house is quiet today but I am not alone. Ever faithful Jake, our Velcro Dane, haunts my steps, following me from room to room, even to the bathroom. He lumbers to the garage door as I fold laundry, pacing, hoping in vain for an early dinner. I take him out and he chases a …
Eager To Please
“Who wants to…?” Before I got any further, Thomas and Amelia dropped what they had been doing and raced for the kitchen. “I want to do it, Yolly!” Amelia’s words were interrupted by Thomas’s. “You did it last time. It’s my turn.” “No I didn’t.” Whether it’s carrying a piece of cardboard to the recycling …
Peace
“Tree! Crash! Boom! Bang!” Ezra fairly shrieked, little hands motioning above his head. We were playing on the front porch together when the last two aged hardwoods came down. We waited for spring to see how they would fill out before deciding to take them down. Once they were on the ground and the rotted …
Withholding
“You can’t reach it! You can’t reach it!” Thomas chanted as he circled the room, full speed ahead, ball held high above his head. Timothy and Ezra followed him in circles, temporarily entertained. Amelia caught up to him but he evaded her grasp. She quickly tired of his game and wandered off in search of …
Shortsighted
“Timothy, would you like to help Lolly?” I invited. The others were caught up in their own game on a cluster of ride on toys on one side of the room. Timothy stood a little aside, sleepy and frustrated that he had not gotten to the zebra ride on first. In an instant, I was …
Transplants
“Ok, baby, it’s time for your surgery.” I said to Amelia’s doll as I sat down, donned my reading glasses and threaded pink thread onto my sewing needle. “I promise it won’t hurt a bit.” Amelia peered over my shoulder as I stitched the slit along the seam where the tag had been torn off. …
Earth Moving
“Amelia dug up a worm,” Thomas announced as I turned from pushing Timothy and Ezra in the swings to be sure my mulch bed was still intact. They knelt in front of their toy excavators, eyes trained on something between them that I could not see. “Are you sure it’s a worm?” I asked, wary …
How Do You Love?
“Can you find the baby puffer fish?” Amelia asked Ezra after bringing him one of his favorite lift-the-flap board books and climbing up into the chair at the kitchen table next to his. Valentina had already fed the kids and we were finally sitting down to our lunch. Ezra had been clingy all morning and …
A Fitting Reply 