The Sidewalk

"Hey Tay-wer, are we goin' to da sidewalk tonight?" she asked Friday afternoon.

"The where, baby?"

"The sidewalk."

  

"Ohh, the boardwalk?  Yes, yes we are.  And Sweet Pea is going to try a french fry and we are going to ride some rides at Playland!"

  

  

  

Another one bites the dust, as my dad said.  We hook our babies on french fries at the boardwalk early.  It's a culinary delight that Celiac Disease can't touch, dagnabit.

If you're a true blue Marylander, chances are you spend at least a week at the beach every summer, plus a weekend or two or even a day trip.  We sure do love our ocean, and our crabs, and our boardwalk.  Or sidewalk, as some like to call it.  We have a boardwalk in nearly every shore town, but my favorite has always been and will always be the Rehobeth boardwalk.  Rehobeth has Playland, with some kiddie rides that cost only 30 or 60 cents a spin, and our babies love it.  Goodness, but I have fond memories of being a little kid at Playland.

I've said before that I can remember being really aware as a little kid that it would be lame to grow up because grownups hardly ever do things like ride rides or jump in pools.  They just watch.  The sidelines never seemed fun to me.

Is it weird that I was totally choked up seeing my baby's eyes twinkle with excitement when the Merry-Go-Round started to spin?  That watching my baby ride a little toy car with her cousin nearly reduced me to a puddle of sentimental mush?  

  

I have a new terror of earrings.  They get grabbed immediately, and ouch!  Also, all of my necklaces are about to break.

If I'm being completely honest, I had wondered if doing all of these things again with a new little in our family wouldn't be as exciting because well, because we'd just done it all a couple of years ago.  Wrong again.  So wrong.  It is so unendingly delightful to watch a little discover the world around her.  And just when that little gets a little bit big, you can make another little, and then you not only get to watch the littler little make discoveries, you get to watch the littler little and the bigger little make discoveries together.

  

  

Oh, and you get to dress them in coordinating outfits.  Just sayin.

  

Bean is so brave about rides.  This one went awfully fast.  At one point I yelled, "Oh man!  I'm going to fly out of here!" and she let go with one hand, grabbed my wrist and yelled back, "It's o-tay Tay-wer, I got you!"  

  

  

Oh beloved babies, whatever you do, don't lose your delight in the world around you.  These bits we love are glimpses of the whole of heaven, you know.  Can you believe that they are mere reflections of the good that God has in store?

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