Children
There are days when I feel like a witch. Or a horrid dried up old crone. Or a cynical beast of female bitchiness. Because there are days when leashing children, locking them up in dark cellars of parochial schools, and throwing away keys sounds like a damn good idea.
And then there are days like today, when children are just fun to be around.
Amy and I went to the post office in Springfield to get one of her applications weighed and sent properly. Also because we had a Box o' Books that needed to be sent to Mom (and eventually Sara), as part of our current project to stretch the dollar as much as possible. (And even though these particular novels are brain-cell-killing, they're still fun to share.)
There was a slight line. There always is. It doesn't matter if all four windows are manned or not, it's just busy at that particular post office. In the far left station, there is a young mother with two children. One is a baby, who is doing a very good job of keeping Mommy's checkbook and pamphlet just out of reach. But he's being quiet, and it's not something he's consciously doing.. he's just.. holding the items and mom's arms are about 3 inches too short to reach behind her back and grab them. The other is a little girl who looks maybe 5 or 6 years old. Hard to tell. She could just be 4. I was a tiny child, and so were my sisters, so it's hard for me to guess based on height.
This young lady had natural curls, very tousled, trailing down to the middle of her back. They were light brown, kissed with gold from playing outside in the summer. She was wearing purple cotton leggings, a white t-shirt, and hugging a pink sweatshirt (that really matched her sibling's outfit better.. and in fact, his sweatshirt matched her pants...). Both children had enormous dark eyes, and long eyelashes.
When I first looked at the little girl, she shied away, dashing for the protection of her mother's legs. It made me a bit sad, a child reacting so strongly to a stranger's glance, but then I thought that was probably safe. When I looked again, however, I noticed that she had hold of her brother's white-leather foot and was peeking around it at me. I couldn't help it, and grinned.
She giggled and moved the foot back in front of her face, then peeked around again. Amazingly, her brother didn't seem to mind being a shield, and sat happily squishing the post office pamphlet in his fist. Perhaps this was because she varied her shield between one foot and the other, and mom's legs. She was very cute, and flirtatious, and just sweet, playing hide and go seek with her pink sweatshirt even. Her brother saw that, once, and giggled out loud, then watched Amy and I. I must admit we giggled occasionally too.
It was a good way to wait in line. By the time they were done, it was our turn at the counter.
Children like that, who are friendly but reserved enough to know what is safe, quiet but mischievous; those children I like.
And then there are days like today, when children are just fun to be around.
Amy and I went to the post office in Springfield to get one of her applications weighed and sent properly. Also because we had a Box o' Books that needed to be sent to Mom (and eventually Sara), as part of our current project to stretch the dollar as much as possible. (And even though these particular novels are brain-cell-killing, they're still fun to share.)
There was a slight line. There always is. It doesn't matter if all four windows are manned or not, it's just busy at that particular post office. In the far left station, there is a young mother with two children. One is a baby, who is doing a very good job of keeping Mommy's checkbook and pamphlet just out of reach. But he's being quiet, and it's not something he's consciously doing.. he's just.. holding the items and mom's arms are about 3 inches too short to reach behind her back and grab them. The other is a little girl who looks maybe 5 or 6 years old. Hard to tell. She could just be 4. I was a tiny child, and so were my sisters, so it's hard for me to guess based on height.
This young lady had natural curls, very tousled, trailing down to the middle of her back. They were light brown, kissed with gold from playing outside in the summer. She was wearing purple cotton leggings, a white t-shirt, and hugging a pink sweatshirt (that really matched her sibling's outfit better.. and in fact, his sweatshirt matched her pants...). Both children had enormous dark eyes, and long eyelashes.
When I first looked at the little girl, she shied away, dashing for the protection of her mother's legs. It made me a bit sad, a child reacting so strongly to a stranger's glance, but then I thought that was probably safe. When I looked again, however, I noticed that she had hold of her brother's white-leather foot and was peeking around it at me. I couldn't help it, and grinned.
She giggled and moved the foot back in front of her face, then peeked around again. Amazingly, her brother didn't seem to mind being a shield, and sat happily squishing the post office pamphlet in his fist. Perhaps this was because she varied her shield between one foot and the other, and mom's legs. She was very cute, and flirtatious, and just sweet, playing hide and go seek with her pink sweatshirt even. Her brother saw that, once, and giggled out loud, then watched Amy and I. I must admit we giggled occasionally too.
It was a good way to wait in line. By the time they were done, it was our turn at the counter.
Children like that, who are friendly but reserved enough to know what is safe, quiet but mischievous; those children I like.