Wednesday, March 10, 2010

je t'aime






First, I would be a terribly ungrateful Whimsy if I didn't say thank you to each and every one of you who commented on yesterday's post. What a sweet outpouring of love and support. It was a palpable feeling, your thoughts and wishes and prayers - they buoyed me up and I felt so very loved. (Which is going to sound SUPER IRONIC AND FUNNY when you read today's post.) But quickly, before you go on to read that particular trainwreck, I should say that we are all fine here. The doctor's visit was actually several weeks ago - but I had been working on the post for a while and then didn't want to bring down the fun atmosphere last week. So I posted it yesterday. Life around here is good and homey and (say again) just fine. Bean is an extraordinarily patient and long-suffering child. She might be upset in the moment, but she shrugs it off and all is right with the world just a few moments later. Remember: this is the kid that the x-ray techs strapped into a torture device. Only three minutes after she was removed from said torture device, she was doing twirls in the hallway and cheerily shouting BYE! to the folks in the waiting room. I am a lucky parent. For so many reasons.





And now...

It was a short couple of weeks ago that Bean expressed her very first declaration of LOVE --- completely unaided, unprompted, unprovoked by me.
Or anyone else.

Her face was alight with affection, cheeks squished high until her eyes were mere smudges---

LOVE YOU!!!

A parent's heart would quite literally MELT WITH JOY over such a thing, don't you think?

I have to be totally honest here: I really was quite moved by the expression.
Moved to sheer CONFOUNDEDNESS.

Because my dearest only child was not professing this smudgy sticky-fingered over-the-moon LOVE for me.

No.

She was saying this dear utterance to this:


Afterwhich she gave him a hug.
And a 'tiss'.

And for dear mommy?

She patted my knee and then said, "ALICE! CRACKERS!"

Since that confession of devotion, she has shared her extreme entusiastic expression of sweetness by saying LOVE YOU to the following:



............................phoebe.




............................bo.


............................daddy.




............................elmo.




............................hurp.




......................................chair.




............................bowl.



............................rock.


............................basket.




............................tv remote.



............................plastic food.
and some others including Grammy Dawn, our front door, our car, the cat food DISHES (I wish I was kidding)


Upon the most brief of considerations, it would seem that the ONE ITEM SHE HAS NOT SAID THOSE PRECIOUS WORDS to is none other than...

HER MOTHER.
Not that I'm bitter or anything. I mean really.


15 comments:

clueless but hopeful mama said...

"Alice! Crackers!" = hahaha! That's just the way it is, isn't it?!

Amanda said...

...she hasn't quite detached her being from yours yet. You and she are still one. She knows you know she loves you like she loves herself!

<3

Amy said...

Ugh. Like a dagger to the heart! Man, they really have a way of knowing what hurts us the most. :)

Amy said...

I was going to say something similar to Amanda's comment. I was thinking she loves you so deeply that she doesn't know she hasn't said because she feels it so strongly.

Spadoman said...

Yes, what they're saying. Love is so understood, it needs not be said. We all you you Whimsical One. What's not to love?

Peace.

Rose said...

Yep, I'm with Amanda on this one! But it probably doesn't change the fact that you'd like to hear it expressed to you! Sounds frustrating!

Swistle said...

Oh what a PRETTY KITTY you are, oh YES you little snoogum-woogums fluffy-wuffy kitty-poozy! ...Oh, er, nothing! (She's such a pretty cat!)

Midnight Rambler said...

What isn't to love about a kitty bowl? I mean, really. I'm always professing my love for the slime fest that is our doggie bowl. So shiny and gross, all at the same time. Pure poetry, really! "Alice! Crackers!" has to be the best line ever.

Alicia said...

So, I was GOING to say, "Oh, The Whimsy, don't you worry. Even my big kids - 8 and 5 - rarely say the words to me, PARTICULARLY unprompted." But THEN I saw all the photos. Yeah, I got nothin'.

Andrea said...

No seriously...she and you are the same being. She is you. There is no separation yet. And when you first find out that she has identified herself as apart from your being, you'll be sad. But, until then, you're one in the same being. Keep this in your heart. Enjoy it while you can. I miss it.

artemisia said...

Oy, but that is so sweet, too. (I just read Erin P.'s comment, and wow. WOW.)

What a sweetie.

Pickles and Dimes said...

I'm just catching up, but your allergy post was incredible to read.

"Alice. Crackers!" HAHAHHA.

Anonymous said...

I'm just beside myself with laughter over here .... i don't even have words .... our lot in life as mommies ....sometimes we're the last to hear those precious words ... but .... PLASTIC FOOD ITEMS ... and THE CHAIR? so darn funny :-) thanks for sharing! K8

wandering nana said...

I think they do that to show you that they know who you are and that they can melt your heart at any time but it has to be the right time..... when they become a parent of a child and realize it is time to tell their mom how much they love them (they assume you know it)

tearese said...

soo, I read this post a long time ago, but I forgot to say... I LOVE your photo at the top.