Watching...

Watching my boy at the park this evening...

He is such an intriguing and amazing little creature, this one. ***

After nap this evening we went to Coventry park and I hung out with the kids while Nat got a haircut (crazy with this short hair!!). It took a while for Jack to adjust to the fact that, with Ivy in her car carrier, I was not quite equipped to run around the playground with him. I told him he was welcome to explore in the area I could see, and encouraged him to go climb while I kept the baby in the shade. For the next 20 minutes or so, I watched him watch the world. He wandered from spot to spot, observing the playground from different vantage points: the top of the slide, the ramp, the Jack-sized cubby under the red tower. I watched him identify a young man, who looked to be around 7, as his hero of the moment. He followed his friend around, watching from a distance and imitating his every move, inching closer each time until the two of them were collaborating and climbing on the tire-dragon together. I watched him sit near a family on a bench, shy-smiling and hanging out as they asked him how old he was and smiled and talked with him.

I watched him and I was so proud of him. This boy, this future man, this little child of my heart who was once my tiny baby. Who now roams the great Coventry park so independently, befriending the world and taking it all in.

Just watching first.

*** Disclaimer about the above photo -- this was taken at the second park of the evening, while Jack played, again, with some lovely older children who included him in their game of Capture the Flag while we hung out with the grown ups at Tina's for taco night. As you can see, though, he watched a lot there too.

Oh and then there's this bonus for you. Jack and friend Max pretending to nap together in the play cube at the Parent Center this afternoon. Does it make your day, too?