Outside Attitude

The weather is finally getting warmer and we're getting outside to play!!!
Yesterday we were playing in the back yard, which was nearly impossible, due to tripping on the tree gumballs that blanket the yard.  So I decided to take a walk around the block and explained to Christian that we had to go inside to get the house key and we were going for a walk.  As expected, he didn't understand what I was saying the his "pogo dance fit" began. You know when they jump around, half turning back and forth at random like a stiff drunken doll. Oh I KNOW you all know what I mean.  Yes of course this was accompanied by some whining, I mean who is Christian at this point in his life without some whining :) I just stood there until the dance stopped, about a minute or so, explained again and waited for the dance to begin again.  He just stood there, gave me his stubborn "I'm NOT going anywhere" look. Now here comes the funny part.  When I get annoyed, I put one fist on my hip, which I did now, and gave him my firm, "Mommy is the boss" look.  He put HIS hand on his hip, mimicking me, lifted his chin an inch but didn't look at me, instead he did his signature looking out of the corners of his eyes toward the steps up to the porch. I couldn't help it, I just bust out laughing!

Finally we made our way, kicking and screaming, into the house, I grabbed the keys and headed for the front door and then he understood.  We had a nice walk, seeing new things, naming them, picking up pinecones and dandelions and sporadically bursting into runs. When we got back to the house, he realized we were going inside and threw down on the sidewalk.  He was whining and kept saying, "outside, outside" but I finally got him in the house. I vaguely recall when I was a child, not wanting to come inside and throwing a fit too. Heck, sometimes when I go for a walk during my lunch hour and don't want to go back, I feel like throwing down on the sidewalk in the downtown and yelling, "outside, outside!"  :)

Tonight our walk was wonderful again, finding treasures and running through the grass. As we crossed the streets yesterday,  I would stop and tell him to look both ways, see if any cars were moving toward us (there were alot of parked cars on the streets). Then if none were moving, we could cross the street.  We did this about six times yesterday.  Tonight we did our "crossing look" once then approached the next intersection. I was just going to walk on and not do the crossing look with him (of course I looked!) but he stopped me, pointed and said "car look?"  It was so adorable and showed me just how smart he is and how much he is understanding and retaining.  I am amazed and thankful at these moments for my son.  It makes me recall, with a pang of sadness, the four special needs children I had to decline in my adoption journey. I was not the right parent for them and I pray for them to find their forever families and to thrive to the best of their abilities.

I wonder what interesting thing Christian will show me tomorrow???
~Amy