I Am The Sun
It’s Springtime, and there are all kinds of projects to be done (or more likely half-done) in our yard. One such project involved the use of bricks as landscaping material. As this particular project was in the “half-done” column, there were still a few bricks strewn about the yard. My son, Stegosaurus (2.5 years old) had moved these bricks into a line, and was cautiously standing on the first brick, one foot on the brick, and one foot raised slightly above the ground. We made eye contact, and the look on his face told me that some brilliant idea had just popped into his toddler brain.
He hopped down and said, “You stand on the brick.” I quickly obliged (This being my fourth two year old, I knew I really didn’t have much of a choice) and stood as he had, on the brick.
“Now sing.” he ordered.
“Sing?” I asked, “Okay…what would you like me to sing?”
“The Planet Song.”
Stegosaurus settled in on the porch. I cleared my throat and began. Just as I belted out, “I am the Sun,” I noticed my neighbor walking by. I was not too far from the sidewalk, and in plain view. Stegosaurus (still on the porch) was obscured by a wicker rocking chair, and was also the only other person outside at the moment. So there I was. Balanced on a brick and singing (apparently) to myself. I couldn’t bring myself to finish the song until the neighbor was out of sight.
What Is That!?
While we were outside, I took some time to clear off the bit of sidewalk that goes from the porch to the road. When I had nearly finished, Little T-Rex (7) walked out and exclaimed, with both shock and excitement in his voice, “What is that!?” Pterodactyl (5) followed closely behind him and shouted, “It looks like…a walkway!” I guess I had neglected the yard work for a little longer than I thought.
Setting An Example
I had a friend, who has recently passed, that I spent a good deal talking to about..well..everything. I had once told him that I wanted my kids to be happy (Isn’t that what we all want?), and without missing a beat he asked me, “Well, are you setting a good example?” I had never thought of it that way. But, just like anything else, if we want our children to be happy we need to model happiness. We need to take care of ourselves, and we need to be aware of our emotions, habits, and thoughts, and their effect on our overall well-being. The best way to have happy kids is to be happy ourselves.
Dadosaurus Rex 