part of my parenting is the on-going practice,

the chance to learn patience.

Like with Henry

at a birthday party on Sunday

and having to leave early

because he fell in a bucket of water

while walking backwards.

This meant I didn’t get to taste these yummy cupcakes a friend made

but I did get to practice patience.

As we were leaving the party,

he was crying from being wet,

meanwhile Paul was crying because we had to leave early,

and there she sat

with her calm and contemplative presence

reminding me to relax.

I also have on-going opportunities to

improve upon my imagination.

Paul is increasingly fascinated with Mister Rogers

and is wanting to role play the different places he visits

and people he meets from the show.

I have never, not even when I was a kid, been very good

at imaginative play,

too much of a realist.

He is giving me this gift as an adult:

to discover the power of suspending reality.

remembering how much effort it takes in the process of learning.

I watch him form letters and numbers

with such determination.

I enjoy sitting with him and seeing up close

the newness in learning to reading and write.

It does not really come naturally to anyone.

We are together, side by side, learning that mistakes are okay.

When he wrote “on” with an “m” his first request

was for a new paper.

He gets it from me, a bit too hard on himself,

but we are taking advantage of the chance to “let it go.”