Puddle Jumping

Bryan was rangy. It had rained all day, and besides a trip to the library, he had no where to vent that energy. It was still raining at 5:00pm, but I was desperate. He got his splash pants on, and rubber boots, and yellow rain coat, and mitts and hat. I bundled up the baby, slipped her in the sling, tethered the dog and out we went. Me in my red rubber boots.....

"Come on Mommy, lets find a deep one," he said in his 'I'm trying to be a man' voice.

"OK," I agreed skeptically.

Slosh slosh slosh, went the water around our boots.

"Oh Mommy, thats really deep, isn't it?" he asked. Again in that voice. He turned his face up to me, smiling.

A smile crept over my face.

"Yes, " I agreed.

"Lets find another one!" he exclaimed, running ahead.

I ran to catch up. He stopped half way through.

"Jump!" I called to him, showing how. He laughed and jumped. He stopped.

"Oooh, my feet..."he sounded a bit annoyed. His boots were short, I could see where this was going.

"Your feet wet, Buddy?" I asked, dreading the "Lets go home," I expected to follow.

Instead he just nodded, thinking.

"You're OK, right Buddy? We can get new socks when we get home," I offered, in as cheerful voice as I could.

He nodded. "Yeah, its OK," he agreed, and suddenly remembered the fun, running ahead for the next one.

It was a fun walk. Splashing in puddles with my boy, laughing, and running to the next one. Every now and then he stopped to say, "Ah, my feet are stinky," and then continued on. We stopped at a drive way with a car running I explained about running cars, and stopping to wait for mommy. He said things like "Yeah, OK, Uh uh," as I explained to him. He reached for my hand and held it while we crossed the street, "Because of the cars." He laughed and played the whole way. He was happy.

It was good. To just be with him. Laugh with him. Watch him. Reconnect with him. I needed it. He needed it.

Thank you Bryan, for an awesome walk!