As Easy As Picking Up A Baby
"What are your plans on Saturday?" Her sister asked Marina this question last week, as casually as if they were arranging a coffee date, and not discussing the arrival of Nephew: The Sequel.
But they were, in fact, discussing the birth of Ryker West Keylock, Marina's second nephew, which is how we ended up driving along I-80 and up the 505 to I-5 on the day before Mother's Day, heading for Chico, wondering if Ryker would in fact expedite matters to avoid a lifetime of having to dilute his birthday gift-receiving with a modicum of Mother's Day gift-giving (he did).
This is how we had the following conversation while driving from Orland towards Chico:
"We're looking out for Meridian Avenue, and then we're going to turn left on West East Avenue," Marina noted, checking the map on her iPhone.
"Which street?"
"West East Avenue."
"West East Avenue?"
"Yes."
"F*** YOU, Chico!"
However, Chico is not a bad town, other than the despicable people of the City Planning Department, Street Names Division. The Enloe Medical Center was quiet and easy to find, and there were plenty of well-wishers there, which was good, because when I agreed to accompany Marina, I had a hidden fear--okay, not so hidden--that I would be left in sole charge of her two year old nephew, Boden. Don't get me wrong, he's an adorable kid, getting more verbal and interactive every time I see him; I was just worried that I would BREAK him, which would be kind of awkward, especially since I haven't married into the family yet.
I've held Boden on my lap before, because, well, he's practically family, which makes me okay with sitting on a couch with him--if I drop him, he has somewhere to fall.
And just look at this kid: isn't he delightful?
So of course, anxious to avoid any risk of breaking the kid, I found myself playing hide and seek with Boden around the salad bar in the hospital cafeteria, just like I play hide and seek with the cat at home.
So somehow, when he came running around the corner and I was waiting, he ended up running into my arms, giggling gleefully, and I found myself thinking, He's so light. I should just pick him up. So I did, and held him until he started squirming. Since he's two, this took about three seconds; nevertheless, I've felt remarkably protective towards him ever since.
I don't know what it was, exactly, but it explains a lot about the best side of human nature, I think.
But they were, in fact, discussing the birth of Ryker West Keylock, Marina's second nephew, which is how we ended up driving along I-80 and up the 505 to I-5 on the day before Mother's Day, heading for Chico, wondering if Ryker would in fact expedite matters to avoid a lifetime of having to dilute his birthday gift-receiving with a modicum of Mother's Day gift-giving (he did).
This is how we had the following conversation while driving from Orland towards Chico:
"We're looking out for Meridian Avenue, and then we're going to turn left on West East Avenue," Marina noted, checking the map on her iPhone.
"Which street?"
"West East Avenue."
"West East Avenue?"
"Yes."
"F*** YOU, Chico!"
However, Chico is not a bad town, other than the despicable people of the City Planning Department, Street Names Division. The Enloe Medical Center was quiet and easy to find, and there were plenty of well-wishers there, which was good, because when I agreed to accompany Marina, I had a hidden fear--okay, not so hidden--that I would be left in sole charge of her two year old nephew, Boden. Don't get me wrong, he's an adorable kid, getting more verbal and interactive every time I see him; I was just worried that I would BREAK him, which would be kind of awkward, especially since I haven't married into the family yet.
I've held Boden on my lap before, because, well, he's practically family, which makes me okay with sitting on a couch with him--if I drop him, he has somewhere to fall.
And just look at this kid: isn't he delightful?
So of course, anxious to avoid any risk of breaking the kid, I found myself playing hide and seek with Boden around the salad bar in the hospital cafeteria, just like I play hide and seek with the cat at home.
So somehow, when he came running around the corner and I was waiting, he ended up running into my arms, giggling gleefully, and I found myself thinking, He's so light. I should just pick him up. So I did, and held him until he started squirming. Since he's two, this took about three seconds; nevertheless, I've felt remarkably protective towards him ever since.
I don't know what it was, exactly, but it explains a lot about the best side of human nature, I think.
posted by Devin at 10:15 PM
1 Comments:
Awwwwwww..... :o)
Post a Comment
<< Home