Drew

Today was the day for the bubble machine. The adults were supposed to be weeding while Drew played, but I never seemed to make it weeding. Drew and I played. I took notes on our conversation. When he asked what I was writing, I told him I was doing my homework.

Drew: Grandma, come on. Pop them fast, not slow - like this. Look, look, look. How many bubbles are there? There are 2000 bubbles. Let's take a break. Oh, no. More bubbles in the grass. Off the grass, you bubbles. Two thousand bubbles are coming out. Pop them. [Running, dancing, flailing his arms, and jumping.]

Now I'm going to stop the bubbles. [Singing as he runs around.] More bubbles.

I'll do my pose [reminiscent of dancing with stars].

Me: Oh, my camera needs to be plugged in. It says low battery.

Drew: Go plug it in. Then you can come and just watch me. Grandma, come over here. I'm going to do the pose at the very beginning. Hurry, Grandma. Come watch.

Me: Do you think maybe I should help weed a bit?

Drew: No. Can we go somewhere else? Up here [in the jungle gym]. We have to go. Bubbles will be up here. This is the bubble castle. You will be the queen. I will be the princess. I will sleep up high. You will sleep below. Come on - in the bubble kingdom. Come on. Hurry. This is the bubble kingdom.

Moms and Dads watch movies before they go to sleep. You should watch a movie. When you weren't looking, the princess slides down the slide.

Grandma move. Look behind you. Actually, I sleep in the twisty slide. I won't go all the way down. Now, I'm awake. I already ate breakfast. When you were doing your homework, I slipped down. My shoes are too slippery. Ouch, that hurts.

Me: I'm watching a movie.

Drew: So its bedtime? I sleep in the twisty slide remember?

Drew: Let's play something else. Grandma, can we play hide and seek? I take all the turns of hiding and you take all the turns of counting. Go find me. Search everywhere.

Me: [after counting to ten, but not moving from my spot] Is he in the apple trees? Is he in the garden?

Drew: Are you up in the castle? You have to come down. You have to search everywhere, not just in the castle.

Drew: Here I am. I was hiding in there. Now I hide, you count. You'll get a turn after I hide.

Me: Found you.

Drew: My turn. You count.

Me: [after counting to ten] I bet he's under the slide.

Drew: I'm not.

Me: I bet he's in the castle.

Drew: I'm not. I'm here. Over here. Still my turn. You count again.

Me: [I keep counting past ten.]

Drew: Say "Ready or not, here I come."

Me: Ready or not, you will be caught.

Drew: No, ready or not, here I come.

Me: Ready or not, you will be caught.

Drew: Okay, Catch me.

Me: I can't find you.

Drew: I'm in the twisty slide.

Me: No, I don't think you are.

Drew: [Squeals] I am.

Drew: Put down your homework. Let's play tag. You are first. [We play tag until we are breathless.]

Drew: Let's play monkey. We have to climb. Put down your homework. You have to help me cross the monkey bars. [I do]

Me: Who is going to help me?

Drew: No one.

Such a darling boy. So full of life and energy.