It is 7:40 pm as I begin to type this. Julia is in bed, but not asleep yet - I can hear her rolling around in her crib and occasionally talking to one of the many stuffed animal friends in there with her.
Alex is on his way in from outside. He and my husband were searching through dirt and the woodpile for food for our little lizard. First they found a centipede, which scooted underneath the dirt and stone in the tank. Where the lizard couldn't go. So back outside they went to try again...my tall husband and my tall little boy. Next catch - a grub. Bill thought it was dead because it just lay there, curled up in grub-fetal position. I said I saw it move. But Bill has doubt, so back out again...Alex stopping to take a piece of candy from the pile on the kitchen floor of Easter Bunny Candy-Fest treasure from Sunday. Alex tromping through the kitchen in a short-sleeved shirt, red sweatpants, and his snow boots. Third catch - an earthworm. I don't know what the earthworm is doing, but apparently the grub is still alive. Both my men are nose to the tank, watching and waiting for the lizard to make his selection.
Alex just said "Daddy, do you want to check it out?" He is nearly four...testing phrases he has heard but hasn't yet made his own.
"HE GOT ONE!"
"OOh, he got the grub! Oh, he's sucking it down! Buddy! He liked that one!"
"Yeah, he liked the grub!...Daddy...now the grub's all gone...MOMMY! THE LIZARD JUST GOT THE UM...THE LIZARD JUST GOT THE GRUB FIRST! AND NOW THE GRUB'S GONE!"
Wide, wide eyes. He doesn't want to go to bed, though Bill has introduced the idea...Alex wants to see the lizard eat the worm....And now Bill...my kind and humane husband despite his attempts to make people think otherwise...is now bringing the worm back outside where he (the worm) can nestle down in the damp earth and live another day.
And now the men are sitting on the floor in the kitchen again, eating one last piece of candy.
I can't explain how much this fills me with happiness, but as my son would say, it does - a lot a lot a lot a LOT.
