- At A Breakfast Meeting Over the Holidays
Our two year old granddaughter, River, was visiting with us the other day. You see, Thursdays are “River Days”, which means that Pop-Pop and River hang out and spend the day together while her mom is at work. They eat interesting combinations of foods, play, watch Caillou (her favorite show – she’s addicted, so Pop-pop has to set limits), and take naps. During the summer months I am home to join the fun, so Pop-Pop, River, and I enjoy “breakfast meetings”on Thursdays. Oh, it’s very official, with River recording the minutes between bites of egg or pancakes. Right now, I am envious of Pop-Pop and River for having the opportunity to stay home, but when I return from work around 4:00, I get to be part of the fun.
The last few Thursdays we’ve started a new tradition. When River’s mom comes to pick her up, we invite them her to join us for a dinner of pizza or other take-out tidbits. It’s a relaxing (and no-fuss) way for us to catch up before they go home. This Thursday, River enjoyed a ham and cheese calzone with her mom before leaving the table to make crayon drawings for each of us. We asked her about her scribbles and she would tell us what colors she used. She’s getting better at recognizing her colors, but sometimes everything is “black”. She’s getting there 😉 Her mother remarked about how she likes to give River different types of paper for variety and so we gave her the top panel of the calzone box to draw on. She put it on the floor and had a good time. From where I was sitting at the table I couldn’t see her, but her mom told me that she was energetically creating a masterpiece with a crayon in each hand, swinging her arms vigorously. When I bent to look, River declared she was all done. Her creations are made quickly and decisively. When River showed us the calzone box art, her mom praised her and asked River, “What is this a picture of?”. River, who is speaking so much and so well these days, was caught off guard. Then, without saying a word, she raised both arms and shook them vigorously. She was showing Mom her drawing technique! We had a nice chuckle. You know, she was absolutely correct; her picture was exactly that, without need of naming it. Now isn’t that the example of a simple pleasure?
If you’d like to read about another River Day, click here:
Simple Pleasures 
What a precious post!
Thanks! That baby really brightens my day – she’s a joy!
That’s quite heartwarming. I love kids… and I miss being one. The world of adulthood is just so full of criticism, it’s hard to do something and not have to explain it 🙂 Beautiful post
Thank you!
The beauty I see in children, and in animals too, is in their innocent essence. Children do not judge and they do not put up barriers. They are open and think freely. I think we learn to become guarded and critical as we grow and become more independent. Maybe it’s a trade-off; we lose our innocence as we gain knowledge of the world and become independent. It is a gift to experience this beautiful, innocent nature when we spend time with children or with our pets, and something we can strive to reignite within ourselves. I feel very fortunate to have the opportunity to be a part of River’s life from her entry into this world. I can be a loving guide for her, and from her I can learn much too.