Jayden's A Winner

He came to spend the evening with us, carrying his Nintendo Switch (a handheld device to play electronic games).  He excitedly stepped to the door, reached up to the handle, and tried with all his little body's strength to pull the sliding glass door open.  With light steps he came into the kitchen, I pretended not to know him.  He went right along me, grinning, "I'm Jayden, GrammyPam."

The 6 y.o. was only here a couple hours, but we played many things.  First was Candy Land, "I've played this before."  

"With who?"  I asked.

"Everybody,"  he replied.

And he laughed when his red token passed my yellow one hoping to draw the card that would let him take a short cut.  "I'm gonna win.  I'm winning!"  And he bounced in his seat, and his hands went up in the air, animated.

Then it was Toss Across.  First with Grandpa John who won one out of three.  Then me, "You sure are a winner, Jayden!"  I only won once myself.  He came to whisper in my ear, "I know a trick, change his to yours."  Legal move, but clever deduction for one so young.

The chatter never stops, "I need a dessert.  Alayna and Noelle are getting ice cream cake.  Can we make cookies?  I make awesome cookies.  Chocolate with peanuts, that's the kind."  Yes, he said all that in one breath without any interruptions from me.

Jayden brought us a bag of chess pieces from the game closet.  "I want to play chess.  I know how.  Dad taught me."  While John's setting up the board I texted his Dad, "Does he know how to play chess?"

"A little bit.  He is a very beginner and needs coaching during the game, but he is very interested in it."  Then he added, "LOL, I love him so much."

John bugged his eyes as Jayden decided on a move that would cost him his own pawn, and said, "He's getting it.  He's gonna be really good some day."

The kid wants to do everything all at once.  He doesn't spend periods of time at any one thing.  Poor first grade teacher.  

There's still two Hot Wheels playsets in the living room where he played the longest.  When Ian popped in he showed Jayden how to use yard sticks to ramp the little cars from the couch to the floor.  All the ins and outs of the playset's features like break away gate, voice activation buttons, and elevator lift were investigated by the two of them.

To end the evening we mixed water color paints, like yellow and blue make green.  But the dinosaur picture held little interest, instead he painted his palm and fingers.   Because he thought he'd learned all the mixing that there was to be learned, he turned to the sink to wash off the blue mustache and green wrist drips and ended up washing dishes.  Washing in a kids way, that is, LOL.

"Here's Mom and Dad, get your shoes on, Jayden."  

Jayden's leaving is very little boy-like, quick hugs, waving from the backside, with his sights already turned from us to whats ahead.  His head and eyes are looking to the SUV.

"Bye!' and he sprints off. 

I'll have to be sure to remember.

He'll remember!

We have a date, he's coming to make cookies, "I make good ones."