Guess What?

Arboretum

Text from Jessica to me on the morning of April 5^th….

Good morning!  Austin says he would like you to pick him up from school today.  Would that be possible?

            We arrived midday last week in Washington on a school day, giving us time to get to Hayden’s house, unpack, before walking across the street to Miner Elementary School for the 3:15 pm pick up.  After school pick up is now one of the highlights of our visits. 

            We found Austin on the small outdoor playground where the Preschool children go for recess. We recognized Mrs. Mukendi, his sweet, soft spoken, African American teacher whom we met last fall.  She remembered us as we stopped to say hello. 

            “Austin, is such a joy,” she told us without our even asking.  “He adds so much to our class because he is kind and sharing, interested in everything and smart.”  Of course, as grandparents we love hearing this and yet we’re not surprised.  For us, he is all those things and more.

Renwick Gallery Installation

            I caught a glimpse of Austin running around chasing a cute little black girl until he looked up and saw us.  He stopped and grinned when he saw us.  He came over as Art and I both reached for big hugs.  What a lovely reunion.

            Austin probably lives the closest of any student to the school. This always reminds me of Hayden in Kindergarten when we lived on the edge of the campus of Randolph School. He would walk out the back door of our house, through a gate onto the school soccer field, skirt the tennis courts till he reached the driveway and the entrance to school.  He was always slow in the mornings and we chastised him constantly about his lateness in spite of living so close by.

 Holding Austin’s hand we made our way towards 15^thStreet, a busy cross street. Austin began with “guess what?” questions as if he had been storing many week’s worth of things to tell us. I doubt four year olds plan ahead but he sure was determined to tell us everything before we even got a chance to ask.  He likes the surprise element. 

            “Guess what?”  said Austin

            “What?” we both answered…

            “We went to Mexico and stayed in two hotels. Not one (gesturing for emphasis) but TWO!  And one was RIGHT on the beach (both hands for emphasis). “

            “And guess what?”

            “What?”  

        

            “I went swimming in the pool and even put my face under the water...  And guess what?”

            “What” we said.

             “I had a piña colada…it’s like a milk shake.”  His blue eyes got big while telling this. 

              "Did you like it? I asked.

               "Oh yeah," he told me shaking his heading emphasis. "And guess what?" he continued.

              “Did you know I saw an iguana in Mexico?”  He was literally this big,” he told us holding his arms wide to show how big.  I notice that “literally” is a word that has crept into his very adult vocabulary no doubt imitating his Mother or Dad in conversation.

            “ I wore pajamas to school on Monday for Pajama Day.”  Then he giggled. 

            “What did you wear on Tuesday?” I asked as we crossed the street.

            “I was twins with Robert.  He’s my best friend but he has straight hair and I have curly hair. It was Twins Day!”

            “What about Wednesday?” I continued.

            “We had Wacky Tacky Day.  You wear things that look crazy like two different socks…”

more laughing.

            Once in the house Austin continued with his “guess what” routine as he wanted to show us everything that we hadn’t seen since our last visit.  He went through the toys he got for his birthday about six weeks ago, his art work portfolio piled neatly by his easel, the Star Wars decoration from the top of his birthday cake which we hadn’t seen, and a new organizer piece of furniture in his play area where many of his toys and art supplies are now kept.  

            I did get nostalgic when I saw the two blue plastic Matchbook car suitcases in his play area as I remember my little boy, Hayden, at 4 loving those cars and carting that suitcase everywhere he went. I could never have imagined then, that my four year old grandson would be doing the exact same thing so many years later…and that the suitcase and little cars have survived this long.

National Botanical Gardens

            “Do you want to meet Alexa?” Austin asks as if we were about to meet a new member of the family.

            “Of course,” we say.

            Austin stands up straight, speaks very deliberately while a few steps away from the device, “Alexa, play Star Wars.”  Then he turns and whispers to us, “that’s my favorite song”.  

            And so we feign amazement and I am awestruck always at this four year old growing up so confidently in a high tech world.  He leads us upstairs wanting to show us the other Alexa.  “She is smaller,” he tells us.  But he orders her to play Star Wars as well.  When Art requests one of his favorite Blondie songs, Austin loses interest but then suddenly wants to tell me how to set up Alexa in case I want to get one.  He starts to explain about “downloading an app” until he’s lost me and we go on to something else.

            When we have exhausted everything in the house I persuade Austin to come with us to the playground back at his school - the big kids playground. I notice how much more at ease Austin is now as he goes up to other children to interact with them. He used to be more shy but being a preschooler has given him confidence and this playground is familiar.  Soon he sees his friend Kyle who has come to the playground with his caregiver and the two good friends take off together…each following what the other does.

National Arboretum

Whiffle ball...a favorite of Austin

            I look for changes all weekend we are there and signs of what it’s like to be four now.  Austin loves telling jokes especially knock-knock jokes.  He’s good at it understanding the timing and waiting to tell the punch line and then laugh. He’s even memorized a few jokes he can remember and retell.  I was impressed as I don’t have any jokes saved to tell to anyone.

Knock knock....Who's there?

 He loves to do art work at home and hands me a pile of paintings he has done “especially for Grandma” which I promise to take home and put on my refrigerator.  He still loves games and “Go Fish” and Jessica has got him into Mad Libs and filling in silly words which prompts more giggling.  He definitely is developing a sense of humor which will definitely help him in life, I think.

Mazes...

Chocolate lover...

            I love this “guess what” stage because he has so much to tell and I’d like to think that he loves sharing with us, his grandparents. 

              In an email from Jessica the day after we left she wrote:

I picked up Austin from school yesterday and as usual he was talking a mile a minute.  When we walked in the door he paused from soliloquy and sheepishly asked (you could tell he knew the answer), if grandma and grandpa had left. Wishfully double checking… Needless to say you are already missed!

         

            National Arboretum