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Anyway when we finally got home we had a snack. I decided to try out something new along with his usuals (cheerios, graham crackers, juice, yogurt, etc) so I brought over a HUGE ripe orange on a plate and sat down next to him as I began to cut it. Curious and interested he sat down very close next to me and pointed, "Punkin Bapa?" "No, it's not a pumpkin mr. henry, it's an orange." He just sort of looked at me puzzled. I could see that he was trying to process our recent work with colors; trying to resolve the conflict of the color orange on a page with this sweet-smelling thing in front of him. He poked his finger into the flesh of one of the pieces I had already cut and put it in his mouth. A wave of happiness washed over his face. "More orange Bapa" he said quickly and began devouring the slices. Even after accidentally biting some of the rine off and chewing it up, he didn't even slow down. He was hooked and dedicated. After only a few pieces his face, hands, arms, lap, and bare feet were covered in sticky juice and he was in heaven. After seeing Henry's ravenous attack on the fruit I decided I deserved a piece for my troubles. I popped one of the slices in my mouth and said, "mmmmmm." Henry stopped what he was doing, looked me in the eye and very seriously told me, "Henmy eat whole ting Bapa." The kid wasn't messing around. I didn't eat anymore after that.
Henry is so amazing to me. It's impossible to document all the things he does that amaze me every day. I guess as a parent you just eventually accept the fact that you are going to be amazed for the rest of your life by things that may not even be that amazing to other people. I will no doubt be amazed again with every awesome new "orange" Henry discovers. -W
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1 comment:
Oh yeah. "Amazing" is the word. The parental amazement you write about is familiar to me. I'm currently the amazed parent of a son who is now a parent himself. I'm amazed at the bang-up, sensitive, hands-on, insightful approach he's taking to being a Dad. I suspect most readers here who are parents will completely understand your amazement.
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