"I'm Hungry," Said Jayden

Jayden was dropped off by his parents and 3 sisters to spend Saturday afternoon with me.

He's growing -- taller, more mature in thought, handier in speech.

Yay, I have a companion for the day!

Before going in the house where all the toys are, where distractions speak fun, I asked him if he'd help me pick up sticks.  Yes!  Anything, being with grandparents, anything, being separate from family, anything, doing something different.  We've all been there, we all know how that temporary detachment feels - exciting, thrilling.  We picked up a bucket full of sticks.

"I'm hungry," he states as he pokes one longish twig into the wide mouth of a green 5 gallon pickle bucket.

"How about a waffle?"

Afterwards, I'm thinking he's not very muscular, maybe I can encourage some growth, "Would you help me bring in some groceries?"  Yes!  He carried the toilet paper (I chose something lightweight to see how adept he was at carrying a load) and wanted more, so I plopped the paper towels on top.  They slid to one side, he did a little shifting hop and got them to stay up there.  They regained alignment and off he went to the red front door.

"I'm hungry," he said after several same-alike trips.

"Want a corndog?"

Knowing that John, my darling hubby, would be gone for a long time taking kids on a field trip, and that he'd arrive tired, I checked to see if Jayden would like to be a substitute, taking that walk with me.  We did.  Just passed the mailbox, him with a jaunty bouncing gait, and swinging his arms like a dancer, and me walking normal, he claims he's already tired.  I checked his lips and face and decided he was probably just saying that because he had other things in mind.  We made the little hike just fine.

"I'm hungry," he said marching straight into the house aiming for the kitchen.

"Would some cheese sticks do?"

He ate all.  Then he discovered the blue and white basketball.  He could see it outside near the evergreen tree.  With permission, out he went.  And he dribbled.  I mean that boy could dribble!  He even dribbled it between his legs like a Harlem Globetrotter.  Shew!  That took dexterity, determination, and energy.

"I'm hungry," he said coming back in for a rest.

"You want to make brownies?"

We made brownies.  To make them special we dropped in some chopped walnuts.  To make them even more special we dropped in some chocolate morsels.  Then we waited.  

Well, I waited.  He licked the beaters.  He also licked the spatula.  And, he licked the bowl.  That boy kept on licking the whole 24 minutes the brownies baked!

We shared some brownies.  Then we took a few to the neighbors.  

"Oh, these are still warm!" exclaimed the happy eaters. We stayed and petted their large dog, and explored their barn and walked around checking out other stuff, too.

Finally, we walked back to the house, where his parents had just arrived to pick him up.  I told them he'd had a busy day -- poking sticks into holes, carrying bags of fruit into the house, walking the road's white line like a balance beam, and bouncing a ball on the deck.  Jayden was listening.  He completed the cycle.

"I'm hungry."