An outing with SiSi...

Today was another “home day” and SiSi and I decided to go on an adventure. With Mama and NiNi going off to do some shopping, it seemed a good opportunity to get out of the house and work off some cabin fever (both SiSi and I get a little antsy if we’re homebound for too long). The weather here at Wayfarer House was better than in many parts of New England today: It was only raining, with temps just enough above freezing to keep the roads wet, but not slippery. We decided these were reasonable conditions for an outing on foot, so we donned raincoats, boots and hats and set off to explore.

We talked about this and that on the 20 minute walk downtown. I’m always interested to hear what SiSi likes to discuss. Her world is so fascinating! On the trip down, we covered pre-school, her buddies, being in front when we walk and what to do if you start to cross the street and see a car. Riveting conversation!

Our first stop was the co-op market for the one necessary bit of shopping. SiSi carried the basket while I got the salad and soap. Then, it was off to the coffee shop for something warm, with a brief stop at the bookstore on the way. Not that I have time to read anything I might buy there, but SiSi wanted to spend a little of her money on a sticker. She had three dollars. Stickers cost ¢30. Any guesses on how long it took for the right sticker to be chosen?

After something hot to drink and a shared bagel, we headed to the bead store. The rest of her money went into a necklace, the beads for which she chose, ordered and assembled herself. When all was said and done, she had a nice necklace and 3 pennies left. Not bad! She’ll do great on The Price is Right someday.

We took the long road back home, so we could walk through the “train park”. It’s called that because there is a small wooden train that kids can play on there. We had fun running there, but didn’t play long. The wet and cold were starting to seep into our bones, and it was getting to be time for lunch. Our outing ended with us sitting under a blanket on the couch, watching Monsters, Inc.

I’m reflecting on all this because it is I’ve been wanting to do with my kids since they were born, yet it’s only been recently that this has been possible. When they were babies, it was difficult for me to interact with them in any way where I felt involved. Mostly, I just sort of sat there. I changed diapers, sure, and I was good at getting them to sleep, but there wasn’t a lot of give-and-take. The interchange that I really needed to feel like I was contributing was missing. Now, I can have conversations with my older daughter. We can share experiences and talk about them later. We can explore and question and joke together. We can DO things!

I’m looking forward to the time when I can do this with NiNi, too. She has such a unique view of the world. I love her energy! She’s a lot like me and I think that, once we reach the point of being able to interact on that level, we’ll have a lot to share. It’ll be nice to be fully involved in the lives of both my girls. I may regret saying this when they become teenagers, but the thought of it right now is very nice.