Red blocks

Joey loves blocks. Megablocks are especially wonderful things. He doesn't build with them. He carries them around. The Megablocks have larger "pegs" like big circles, and he likes to count them. The line-blocks, with three or four of these pegs in a straight row, are the blocks he loves. The rest rot in the toybox (Andy has already moved on to Duplos).

I work on Saturdays. I actually work three jobs, as I teach two places as well, one online and one live. the live class only comes around every couple of years, but I do love it when I have one. The online classes are just OK. Too many students think that having an online course is a lisence to sass the professor or skip the work. Anyway, that's not what I do on Saturdays. On Saturdays, I hole up in my bedroom, in my hubby's oversized recliner, with a computer in my lap, and score GRE writing assessments. (No, I can't tutor anybody, its against my contract. No, I can't grade your essay, its all automated and I have no control over which essays I get. Its all standardized, anyway, so it wouldn't effect your score). On breaks, I do weird stuff like write blog entries and change bedsheets. Its a pretty good deal. Sometimes I even stay in my pajamas for the morning (I'm weird, I like to be dressed).

So I am sitting here, holed up for the day in my comfy chair, when a little face appears at teh door.

The idea of letting the boys come up the stairs without escort is new for us. Joey's motor planning is usually so poor that stairs were a major source of concern and falls. Andy is better, but still, he's not yet 3 years old, and we want to know what he's DOING up here. My house is not exactly clean and neat, and there is plenty of trouble to be found. So much for childproofing.

The other problem with independent stair climbing is that Joey has trouble remember what he came upstairs for, and then just wanders about the upstairs, and finally melts down, because he knows he came up here for something, but what was it? I can sympathize with the frustration there, it happens to me all the time since I was pregnant. If anybody needs anecdotal evicdence that pregnancy causes brain damage, I'm your girl.

So here I am, and aroun the corner comes a little face. "Hi Joey," I say brightly, wondering where Dad is.

"Red four?" he replies in a hopeful question. I'm stunned. He came up the stairs, and knows exactly what he wants. And better yet, I happen to know he left his red blocks- a four and a three, his usual set- right here on the chair. HE knew which room he wanted andd everything!

"Do you want your red blocks?" I ask, to encourage speech.

"Red blocks." Red is Joey's current favorite color. Everything has to be red. I produce the required booty, and the little face lights up. "RED blocks! Thank you!" He fetches them from my hand with a kiss, and is gone.

My baby is growing up.