Our brightest star

I normally sit to write and I write about what we have been doing, the adventures we’ve been on, or the stuff we do.  There’s climbing, farms, cafes, adventures galore.  Maybe we ate somewhere cool or tried a new local dish.  Sometimes it’s some oddity we saw.  On occasion, it’s something cool and unique.  That doesn’t even get into the holidays, celebrations, or cultural events that happen as well.

We are traveling soon, but not yet, so there is nothing to say there.  

We traveled this summer, but that’s been blogged.

The funny thing is, we had a weekend just past.  J and Kiddo went to for a climb and got art and craft supplies, I cooked and blogged and made soup.  I’m sure I could write a million things about that.  I could find a story or anecdote in there (I can hear Stockard Channing in my mind from Six Degrees with the word anecdote - “Tell us the one about THAT BOY!” ((If you’ve not seen the film, do.  It’s wonderful)) to write about or laugh out on.  Like Ouisa from the above named film, however, I don’t want to dine out on an anecdote today.  

Kiddo is awesome.

There!  I said it.

J and I both agree.  Yes, we are her parents and are genetically inclined to love and protect her, to find her awesome, but in this case, I mean that differently.  We both had time with Kiddo this weekend.  Both together and as a family.  However, last night, as J and I chatted after Lil Miss went to bed, is that we both had a really good weekend with her; not because of how she acted or what we did, but because of her.  Kiddo.

Both of us, in talking last night, recalled this weekend not for what we did, but for the times we had just hanging out with Kiddo.  Lazy mornings and coffee.  Cab rides.  Walking with her.  Just hanging out.  Talking with her.  Letting her run the conversations.  Ask her questions.  Observe and comment on the world around her.  The jokes and riddles that flit into her brain.  The factoids and strange little things that she knows.  It was super fun just being in KiddoLand with her this weekend.  

Her and I spent 90 minutes at the mall on errands the other day.  I never rushed her.  Never directed her, other than letting her know where we were going, but once she knew that, she could lead the way.  Her joy in riding in the shopping cart and being a “crazy driver”, but also in helping me put the items into the cart.  Her organizing them in whatever way she saw fit, I would just hand her the item and let her figure out where it should go.  Then, the rest of it was just her and I talking.  Mostly, it was her talking.  Telling me Kiddo stuff.  We also had some home play.  Again, I just followed her lead and let her go.  She’s fascinating.  Clever.  Funny.  Some of the things she says or just how she says them.  Nothing strange or cute like cuncumbers, zamples, and Yew Nork.  It was simple things.  A thank you with a cute flourish.  Giving me lessons on drawing and then cheerfully encouraging me to try.  

More than that, it’s her.  While we were playing at home yesterday, she was humming under her breathe.  I knew the song, I knew it was on the Kiddo playlist, and so I put on the song and we could just hang out with music.  She was thrilled that I knew she wanted to hear the song.  She was unaware she had been humming it.  

A few songs later and Snow (Hey Oh) by RHCP came on.  If you don’t know, Red Hot Chili Peppers has been Kiddo’s favorite band since she could understand what a band is and what it means.  She is ride or die with RHCP.  Good for her.  Recently, though, this little funny nugget popped up and J and I love it.  Because it IS silly.  And yes, it does make fun of the band, but gently enough.  I doubt if anyone in the band is upset over it.  They probably laughed at it themselves (Ok, maybe not Anthony, but he is known to be a bit of a blowhard who takes himself too seriously) and like the cartoony characterization drawings you can get at a local fair or the like, it over exaggerates one thing to comic effect.  Yeah, maybe the RHCP don’t have lyrics that always make sense and California is mentioned a lot, but you can also argue that the style is meant to invoke feeling and not be literal.  

So, as Snow started and Kiddo kind of stopped and just looked at me.  I could feel her looking.  I look up and start singing along.  Not the funny lyrics, but the actual song.  She smiled really big, but then frowned a bit.  I poked at her gently - Something wrong with my singing?  She then went on to tell me that RHCP are her favorite band and it makes her sad when J and I sing the “make fun of words”.  I apologized and told her that J and I would do better to not play that for her or not sing those words anymore.  I was, however, filled with pride.  I was so happy that she could and would tell me that.  That she is secure and comfortable enough to tell me that.  That she will stick up for herself and a band she likes.  That she didn’t need to have a fit or make a big deal, but just talk to me about it.  

That was the weekend.  Her.  Being her.  It was rad to just hang out with my kid…. Our kid… this weekend.  Yeah, we did.  Yeah, we went.  The best part was her, though.  Just chatting with Kiddo.  Not an adventure or experience, just the experience of Kiddo.  She loved it as well.  We normally play video games and have 45 minutes before bed together, a little Dada and Kiddo time, but last night, she didn’t want that.  She wanted to sit in the living room on the floor and just chat while we rolled and tossed a tennis ball back and forth.  

Those are fleeting moments.  It was just yesterday that she was still in diapers and would give me tackle hugs.  The day before that was the day we all came home from the hospital together.  Tomorrow, she’s gonna be 10.  The day after that she’ll be in high school.  Right now, today, however… She is magical.  Perfect.  And she WANTS to hang out with J and myself.  One day, she won’t.  She’ll want to be alone or with her friends.  This weekend, though, J and I were her best friends and she loved just sitting with us, hanging with us, and just rolling a tennis ball with us.  She told us things she liked and didn’t.  She shared thoughts on what next year would be like and where she hoped we could be, what she’d want to see, schools and activities that she would like.

It was special to me; to us, if I can speak for J.  

It was a moment when it was just Us and the Kid!  A perfect family.  Laughing.  Loving.  And being united.  Her excitement for something as simple as a new pack of highlighters.  It was, simply put, awesome.

Let’s go, Kiddo… There’s a lot happening and more to come, but depending on how things line up, we might be able to take you back to the States this summer to visit and just hang, but if we end up in Japan or Korea, you will get to see an American baseball game (Seattle or Denver look to be where we will be if we are back for a few weeks) but then a few weeks later, you’ll get to experience and see a NPB or KBO game.  Like always, Mumma and I will be right there next to you, taking it all in, but also taking in YOU taking it in.  Nothing could be better than that.