A mile in his very little shoes

So yesterday morning was another adventure in getting to school on time. We were up and moving. BB was enjoying his lovely breakfast and my husband had left for work. I had packed the diaper bag the previous night so I was all set for a quiet and relaxing morning.

At 6:40am I am congratulating myself because I am ready: shower, dressed, teeth brushed and book bag packed. BB’s diaper bag is packed and he is finishing his oatmeal. I figure since I have a few extra minutes I’ll go ahead and get the bag in the basket under the stroller.

But where’s the stroller? “Zut Alors” as we would say in French class. I can’t find the stroller. I remember that it was in the back of the car that my husband had driven to work.

            Text to my husband: “Do you know where the stroller is?”

            Answer from husband: “No. Why?”

            Response from me: “In the car”

            Answer from husband: “Sorry I didn’t know.”

Obviously this is a time to regroup and go with Plan B, which is walking to school with BB. Please keep in mind that he is twenty months old and he has very short legs.  The walk is just over a mile for me but it might as well be 10 miles for him.

It’s time to execute Plan B.  Place diaper bag across me in an urban hipster across the chest manner. Place book bag on my back and keys in the side pocket. Explain to BB that he needs to carry Elmo today. He quickly picks up Elmo and kisses him saying “Hold Elmo Mommy, BB hold Elmo.”

We exit the apartment and cross the street to say hello to everyone who is waiting for the school bus. Don’t worry I picked up BB before crossing the street.  One of my wonderful classmates agrees to walk with BB and I to the seminary.  While waiting at the bus stop, BB says hi to all the big kids. He even gives a few hugs to strangers.  He responded well when I yelled “No BB stop.” He stops and comes running back to Mommy.

Josh, BB and I start off for the seminary after all the big kids are on the bus and the bus has left. I tell BB that we need to go to school so he lowers his head and charges up the hill in a flat toddler run. He makes it a half a block before he sees a stick. He, of course, picks up the stick and then another and then another and another. He makes it two more driveways and stops and tries to give the sticks back to the tree in their yard. He pauses to check out the bags of dirt in another neighbor’s yard.

“Hold Elmo Mommy.” He hands Elmo to me. He pauses to pick up a bigger stick. He has described to Josh and I everything in his eye sight in the first block of the walk. Of course it is in BBese, which means we can understand every third or fourth word.  Josh is wonderful and thanks BB for pointing out all the wonderful things he was seeing.

We are able to cross the very very busy road and enter the campus of Episcopal High School. BB is able to walk again. He trucks right down the sidewalk and stops to notice the different brick work outside of the fitness center. He then pauses and points to the moon that has not gone to bed yet.

He also discovers the joy of gong under a chain over and over again.

            Mommy: “BB let go . . .”

            BB shakes his head and continues to walk back and forth under the chain.

            Mommy: “BB let’s go see the trucks.”

            BB’s head pops up and he begins to run towards us. He has a big smile on his faces as he              says “Tuck, tuck, tuck.”

We round the corner and he is focused on the construction site straight ahead. Well, that is until he sees the bucket that are filled with concrete and have poles sticking out of them to block off the new sod. He is fascinated by the handles on these buckets.

This of course holds his attention for a few minutes and then he sees them. He sees the very large and beautifully yellow trucks. He stands and watches them work and then he moves down the fence and watches from a different angle. After a while Josh and I realize that maybe we should get him moving so I hide around the corner. I stick out my head and say “Peek-a-boo.” BB comes running.

We finally make it to the seminary. The 20 minute walk has taken us 35 minutes, which isn’t bad for a short guy. However as we enter the campus there is a wonderful stick in the middle of the road, BB takes off into the black part after the stick. I grab BB and toss the stick on the ground. The tears begin to flow and flow until I mention a banana and then of course everything is good in the world. We enter the refectory and the world is right.

As Josh stated during the walk, we all need to slow down and see the wonders of the world around us. Of course most of us aren’t as close to God’s creation as BB is but perhaps we would be happier if we took more pauses on our walks to observe.

I must admit i was glad to have the stroller today even if we didn't see as much.