Milestones

P8060052
Originally uploaded by cbaineslap.

What more can I say?

Wait, I know...

Go Manatees!

Check it out - the whole bittersweet morning here, including trying on the new school clothes, testing out the backpack, and taking the meandering walk from the front door, down the street, across the little bridge (where we check out the tides, count the little crabs and look for minnows), through the crosswalk, outside the front door, and into the classroom where Scout hammed it up by getting in every picture and I tried really really hard not to show my true feelings, but they were reflected in the face of the little teary-eyed boy sitting next to Wolf.

What we've all been thinking

One time when Scout was a baby and Troy was out of town, she Wolf and I were hanging out in my bed before getting up for the day, and I was talking to her,

"Say mama, ma ma, mmmmm, mama" and Scout would babble back, not exactly saying any real words, but very close. After a few minutes of watching this, Wolf, who just turned two, got right in front of Scout's face and said,

"Say, Wolf. Woolllffff. Say Wolf."

One of our family stories is that Wolf taught Scout how to talk, and frankly, he loves that story. He even makes up little imaginary remembered details about exactly how he did it.

Now they are four and five years old and this morning I broke up a fight and separated them. Wolf was playing in my room and watching cartoons while I was getting ready for work. Scout, the aggressor (imagine that) had been banished to the living room. I gave Wolf a kiss and, in my most pedantic, probably annoying voice, said, "wouldn't it be more fun if Scout were in here playing with you?"

"No, she talks too much."

I muffled my laughter but I did remind him that he was the one who got her started.

I'm sitting in the kitchen now, trying to quickly type up this post before going to work and I had planned on ending it right there -- Yeah, Wolf is right, we love her but she's a talker! -- when out of the blue, Scout says to me:

"Mommy, you're the best mommy!"

Okay, keep on talking.