Elliott: Grass and Flowers
Monday, April 27, 2009 at 07:24PM 
I watched Elliott for a few hours this morning. The day was warm and windy so we went outside to walk up and down the sidewalk in front of the house. Up and down. Back and forth. Walking, walking, walking. He can walk (and run!) all by himself, but he seemed to want a hand on the sidewalk.
We've had many rainy days, so the grass was high and the violets (and a few dandelions) were poking above the wind blown grass. I pulled a single, long blade of grass and handed it to him. He held it in his chubby little fist, watching the wind blowing it around in his hand. He shook it and waved it and tried to put it in his mouth. He moved it from hand to hand. Eventually, he plopped down on the sidewalk to examine the grass growing alongside the walk. Very deliberately, he let go of his blade of grass, but lost it in the tall grass. He looked at me, looked at his hand, looked at the grass and then puckered up and whimpered a little bit. I found his grass and handed it back to him. He was the picture of delight! Up he got and back to the sidewalk. Up and down in front of the house. Back and forth.
We picked violets. I taught Elliott not to put them in his mouth. After a few reminders, he was sniffing them and wrinkling up his little nose, his blue eyes dancing, his red hair flying in the breeze. He wasn't as sure of the dandelions, but we managed to pick a nice little bouquet of violets and we brought them into the house, bruised and bent, but still pretty.
My first flower picking outing with Elliott. I'll never forget it. This memory will be forever tucked in alongside the memories I have of my own three boys at this age--picking flowers, stomping in rain puddles, watching the clouds, petting a dog, listening to the birds.
Reader Comments (7)
Beautiful word pictures, Kim! I love the imagery and the little whimper at losing his grass. Violets are edible, you know, they taste like a mild wintergreen. Although it probably isn't a good idea to let a child think it's ok to eat flowers, because so many of them aren't edible, or are even poisonous.
I love being a grandmother - having the opportunity the enter to into a child's world at his own level. Thanks for sharing with us!
Aaawww! He sounds so precious.
What a beautiful memory. I hope I will be blessed with some of those some day.
I can hardly wait!
Lovely, Kim.
Victor's grandma taught him how to smell the flowers, too.
XO
Oh, this was BEAUTIFUL!
We only have tough little crocuses right now, but our other flowers will be up any day now. I let the Baby pick a handful of purple flowers to put in a vase yesterday, knowing that next year she'll be off at school when they come up.
Awww - what a beautiful, sweet post Kim. :)