As I shut down the house for the evening, Sophie my ever vigilant shadow making the rounds with me, I peek into the bedroom to shut down the light over the washer and dryer. I look over to seee Jacob asleep in his crib jutted up against our bed like an add-on room. His huge diapered butt making his pyjama bottoms tight and the cartoon characters distorted like tatoos on someone who gained too much weight after the it was applied. We have to put him in pjs at night even here in Florida during the 'Dog Days' of summer because he refuses to have any sort of cover over him, he just kicks off in a matter of seconds anything you put on him.
Even as an wee infant he hated being swaddled up in blankets. He preferred to be able to kick and flail to his hearts content. I wonder if that is a sign of things to come, already 'outside' is one of his favorite places to be. Will his future lie with a career that leaves him outside most of the time?
When he was 3 months old I remember him kicking up a fuss one early evening, the day was cool and night had not sprung yet. I took him to the sliding glass door to see if a change in scenery might calm him down, his cries subsided but were still there. I opened the door and we stepped out onto the steps, I reached down into our herb garden and plucked a handful of different herbs and held them one-by-one up to his face and nose so he could inspect them and revel in the glory of the scent of fresh picked herbs. He calmed down immediately and became fascinated with the differing hues of green and variety of shapes and smells. From that day on going 'outside' was a sure way to make him content if not happy.
These hot summer days, once the afternoon thunderstorms have passed, I often come home from work to find he and his mother out in the driveway, both of them soaking wet, puddle jumping. The look of joy on both of their faces is overwhelming and I realize what a wonderful life I have. No matter how trying work has become I can come home to find an exhileration of life that overcomes my sadness.
Dave ...
