MY GRANDSON JAKIE
I pick up my four year old grandson Jake twice a week so we can spend the day together.
Yesterday on the way to the JUMPY PLACE, I stopped to get him a Smoothie, his favorite drink. He knows the protocol at play place. Remove your shoes, put on a happy face, and start bouncing.
For a non-stop hour he jumped and cavorted on huge, inflated bounce houses, dived into a spongy ball pit, and jumped on a trampoline. His energy is limitless. He protested when I said time was up, then he ran to me, and said Grandma, I love you.
You would think that this affection is a bribe, but that is simply his character. During play he introduced himself to every other child in the place, helped a toddler climb up a plastic tree, and waved to me every five minutes.
After lunch at Chik Fil A, I drove to Target so he could buy a CAPTAIN AMERICA toy. I felt guilty because last week he wanted to see CAPTAIN AMERICA at the movies, but I took him to see SPY KIDS instead, fearing that the PG rating on CAPTAIN AMERICA meant bad language.
I told him how much he could spend. He picked out a blue CAPTAIN AMERICA helmet that covered his entire face except his eyes. All the way to the cash register, he threw imaginary rays at customers and yelled I AM CAPTAIN AMERICA.
Back in the car, I set my Droid on video tape, reached over to the back seat and handed it to him. I told him I would interview him, and heres how it went.
Who are you? I AM CAPTAIN AMERICA!
What do you do? I SAVE THE WORLD FROM BAD GUYS.
Where do you get your strength? I EAT WATERMELON! AND STRAWBERRIES!
Who are your friends? THOR AND YANK!
How do they help you? THOR HAS A HAMMER AND YANK MAKES HIMSELF A GIANT!
How long can you fight bad guys? WHEN I DRINK WATER, ALL DAY AND ALL NIGHT!
. . . By this time, I was laughing so hard, I had to stop the car. I let him listen to the video
and he laughed as a child laughs, innocent and pure.
I thought about how last week a parent at his school asked her child the name of his
black teacher. Jakie said BUT SHE IS BLUE. All the teachers wore blue t-shirts for
orientation, so that was the only color he saw.
Every child born has innate goodness. How soon adults influence shortcomings and
prejudices in children. Hang around a child and see how we have sometimes lost our
perspective.
Yesterday on the way to the JUMPY PLACE, I stopped to get him a Smoothie, his favorite drink. He knows the protocol at play place. Remove your shoes, put on a happy face, and start bouncing.
For a non-stop hour he jumped and cavorted on huge, inflated bounce houses, dived into a spongy ball pit, and jumped on a trampoline. His energy is limitless. He protested when I said time was up, then he ran to me, and said Grandma, I love you.
You would think that this affection is a bribe, but that is simply his character. During play he introduced himself to every other child in the place, helped a toddler climb up a plastic tree, and waved to me every five minutes.
After lunch at Chik Fil A, I drove to Target so he could buy a CAPTAIN AMERICA toy. I felt guilty because last week he wanted to see CAPTAIN AMERICA at the movies, but I took him to see SPY KIDS instead, fearing that the PG rating on CAPTAIN AMERICA meant bad language.
I told him how much he could spend. He picked out a blue CAPTAIN AMERICA helmet that covered his entire face except his eyes. All the way to the cash register, he threw imaginary rays at customers and yelled I AM CAPTAIN AMERICA.
Back in the car, I set my Droid on video tape, reached over to the back seat and handed it to him. I told him I would interview him, and heres how it went.
Who are you? I AM CAPTAIN AMERICA!
What do you do? I SAVE THE WORLD FROM BAD GUYS.
Where do you get your strength? I EAT WATERMELON! AND STRAWBERRIES!
Who are your friends? THOR AND YANK!
How do they help you? THOR HAS A HAMMER AND YANK MAKES HIMSELF A GIANT!
How long can you fight bad guys? WHEN I DRINK WATER, ALL DAY AND ALL NIGHT!
. . . By this time, I was laughing so hard, I had to stop the car. I let him listen to the video
and he laughed as a child laughs, innocent and pure.
I thought about how last week a parent at his school asked her child the name of his
black teacher. Jakie said BUT SHE IS BLUE. All the teachers wore blue t-shirts for
orientation, so that was the only color he saw.
Every child born has innate goodness. How soon adults influence shortcomings and
prejudices in children. Hang around a child and see how we have sometimes lost our
perspective.
No comments:
Post a Comment