A Surprise Every Time

I love these goldfish days of summer, the ones where the world-at-large is actually quite small, and even when swimming the same set of swishes over and over again, the little plastic castle -- or playground, in this case -- still comes as a happy little surprise, every time.

Django's no longer content to talk just about what happens to him or me over the course of a day. Now his replays are also full of the trials and triumphs of people we never met -- "Big boy lost blue car sad cry" / "Dada up carry girl shoulders ride." This week he's been intently focused on the right thing to say to get other kids to do what he wants -- "Please orange ball Django back." (He's been practicing different versions of that line for days now.) And he spent at least an hour one afternoon holding out a toy toward anyone within reach, saying "Want to play?" only to immediately retract his hand & toy if anyone actually became interested in the offer.

I've been really trying to do my part to help Django along this curve of social development, but he makes me laugh so much with the way he looks at me so seriously while I'm talking/modeling and then turns his head and looks away, as if to say, "No, that's not really where I'm going with this idea. I'll try to tell you again. See if you can keep up this time." If nothing else, I suppose I'm teaching him one great truth, which is that being human is funny!

Here's what I've been great at showing him these days: how to drink from water fountains, how to eat popsicles. how to run downhill, how to joyride on public transit, and how to take a long nap in the middle of the day.

Our summer travels were truly wonderful, but I must say just being home is pretty nice, too.