When my four year old nephew, Brandon, was a baby just starting to talk, I was always telling him he was goofy. He couldn’t say it right and it was hilarious at the time. He knows how to say it right now but he still says it wrong just for old time’s sake.
Tonight I go to my sis’s house and for the millionth time in his life, he is on me at the door, yappin’ at my heels. “Hi, Auntie! Wanna play Super Mario with me?”, “Wanna see what my army guys can do?”, “Wanna trade Pokemon cards?”, “Wanna do this/that?”
I have to just laugh at him because I suck at Nintendo, have already seen what his army guys can do, and I don’t own a single Pokemon card. Instead I pick him up into my arms and tip him upside down and carry him around the house by his ankles, much in the traditional way that ALL people other than kids’ parents carry the kids around’ the house.
Even though sometimes he annoys the bejesus out of me, I find my time with him is probably the most most fun part of any day. I go over there and my world is upside down, much more different than when I’m hanging out at home, where I feel fine reading a book or surfing the web or chattin’ on the phone, but over there, in my nephew’s room, I find myself perfectly happy surrounded by coloring books, and Sesame Street tapes and Cheez-Its. Except walking aruond his room is something one should not attempt to do in stocking feet. Unless you like walking on Legos!
Usually the kid is a pill to try to put to bed whenever company is over, but tonite he told his Mama that he still never got his ‘treat’ today, and since she didn’t have any cookies or anything she let him have a little bowl of Alpha-bits cereal with milk in it.
This boy started to eat his cereal in a nice, neat manner until his mama left the room, and he was at the table with his Auntie.
From out of nowhere, his manner of eating turned into one of slobbishness, if there was ever such a word. One normal sized spoonful quickly turned into a heaping sized spoonful where sometimes pieces fell to the table and floor and the boy was quickly emptying the bowl. With all the zest of an overgrown hog, this kid proceeded to slurp the milk out of his spoon, thereby leaving huge puddles on the table, and moved the last of the cereal, piece by piece, from spoon to mouth.
Then he picks up the bowl and drinks from it, creating more puddles on the table. Puts the bowl down, bends and tilts his head toward the table and slurps the puddles from it, all while I am watching him. He licks his lips and face in that all-around circle tongue motion that kids seem to have down pat, and after a moment, belches loudly, and then gives me the sweetest look any kid ever had on his face.
I take one look at him and say “You’re goofy!” to which he replies “No, YOU foofy!”
Gonna go to bed so I can rejoin the adult world tomorrow.
Same day, different year..
Other posts on this day:
- Just an outloud observation – 2003