Yesterday I was sitting down to write this post and I noticed our son at the front door. His little hands were pressed firmly against the not-so-firm mesh wire of the front door on what turned out to be a heavenly day. My first thought was “Don’t fall out of the door!” I quickly headed over to prevent my son from what was sure to be a silent cry and a nosebleed to see what he was looking at. Beyond the mesh screen he was now pressing his face against were the neighborhood kids: and my son wanted to play with them.
The neighborhood kids were on scooters and bikes and they were wearing bright colors like pink and red and yellow. These kids were laughing and running and shouting and jumping. Our son wanted to be those kids and he was silently admiring them. I knelt down behind him and examined the situation. I explained to him about how those kids’ scooters had wheels and that by the time he was riding one it would float in the air. I explained the dangerous lack of helmet wearing and also the importance of the buddy system. Unfortunately our silent and educational time together came to an abrupt stop.
Our son started yelling out the door to the kids on the street. “Baa! Bu-Ba-Baa-Baaaa!” A couple of the girls looked our way. They pointed out the baby to one another before going on their way. A brief moment later they returned, now within a few feet of the door. They said hello to my son and were very friendly. My son was the most incredible to watch though. These kids he had yelled to out the door, who had been having so much fun, were now talking to him and smiling at him and spending some time (however brief) with him. His smile was large and infectious and he started to dance. The kids laughed and eventually went on their way. I’m sure we’ll see more of them. In the past it was amazing for my son to discover a different room. Now he’s discovered the street. He’s certainly growing up.