At home, Mommy spoon feeds Josh his meals. She likes him to stay nice and clean. But when Josh goes to Grandma's house for supper, he gets a big boy fork. He eats his spaghetti all by himself. And he likes it. He likes feeding himself a lot. Maybe Mommy should let Josh feed himself at home too.
Josh and I did something fun today. The sin was shining and it was feeling nice-ish out, so out we went. Molly just had to come too. She would not be left home this time. We took our old loaf of crusty Italian bread and wandered down to the "sea-shore". Lake Ontario is not too far away from home and is a good spot to look for birds, pretty much any time of year. So, Josh holding the bread bag in one hand and mine in the other, and I, holding Josh's hand in one hand and a rope leading to Molly in the other, set out along the Bay side of our "sea-shore" looking for birds. I could hear the birds and I could see them. I saw one lonely swan. But they were all far away. The gulls had settled down on the remaining ice in the middle of the bay, which was far, far away. There was no tempting those birds with our bag of bread. Molly was disappointed when we turned to go back to the car. So was I really. I kinda felt dumb and like I must not have been thinking thoroughly to want to feed the birds in February. But as we were walking back across the parking lot, who drives by?? My Grandparents and Uncle Tim! I am never down that way and they didn't know I was going to be there, so God just put it together. I explained to them what we had been trying to do and how we hadn't found any birds. Seeing them was enough to make the trip seem worthwhile after all, but Grandma pointed up to the top of a light post. There on the top was a lone sea gull. And everyone knows, if one gull knows there is food, than every gull will know there is food. I throw bread. No reaction. I throw another piece. Still nothing. Grandpa and Grandma drive away. But before they are out of the parking lot, there are a dozen gulls flying in the air. I have thrown out handfuls, but still no gull is brave enough to come down. Oh Molly... The poor thing has to go back to the car. As soon as we start walking toward the car, the gulls swoop down and flocking over the bread. Since I had left home with a ample supply of crusty bread, we set up residence next to our car this time. I sit Josh on the passenger seat, so he can see all the birds and be out of the wind (which is cold in upstate NY in February). And as soon as the seagulls see that I have begun throwing bread again, without that dog around, they swarm on over, with more friends. They must've been hungry, or something. I tore off one piece at a time. More and more birds. I was enjoying myself and Josh was grinning ear to ear too. I'm not sure which part he liked most- watching the birds or getting to eat the soft inside of our crusty bread loaf.
You gotta love bath pictures! They just capture the essence of childhood fascination. Okay, maybe not. But they sure are fun, right? And they reveal the true physique of ones' little (or not so little) body. I mean, look at the little guy! He's not covered with grotesque rolls or stretch marks from
too many donuts or ho-hos. He's
just short, stout and round-about. Yes, he does have a nice sized gut, but then so did my brother Joe, when he was not more than four. And look at Joe now. (See below picture if you cannot literally come to Upstate NY for a peek at him in person.) I mean, Joe is pretty much not fat. Or rather no fat. Maybe Josh will thin out just like his Uncle Joe did. Or maybe he'll be more like Uncle Andy...
Two days off in a row! That's like, a record!! Okay, not really, but it feels like it.The only thing that would've made in better, was not being sick for day #1. But then I would not have day #2 off. The flu is no fun. At least there was no throwing up. Just body aches and severe tiredness, feeling like you were falling apart, fever, etc., etc. Josh was sick too. I've never seen the little guy turn down dinner. Or sleep through lunch for that matter. He did act pretty much fine until it was "supper" time. If you can call a grilled cheese sandwich supper, as that is all I could muster up the gusto to make. He didn't even want the half I offered to him, so I had to eat the whole thing. And then he fell asleep on the couch next to me. He NEVER has done that before. No squirming or wriggling to get down. And it was only 6ish. Thankfully we are both feeling so much better today. Next time Uncle Joe comes home feeling yucky, we're gonna make him sleep in the dog house, so we don't get sick! Oh, and in case you were wondering why Adam didn't make us supper, it was because he had class and wasn't going to home till later. And we don't really have a dog house.
