Snippet
I watch him watch as we sit outside for dinner on a balmy evening. His spoon is poised in a limp hand, mouth slightly ajar, concentrating.
“What are you looking at dear?”
I count to fifteen with 'ands' as he processes.
“Um …….my new friend.”
I double check, it's just us, Dad, Nonna, little brother and me, no friend, imaginary or otherwise.
I hope?
Would an imaginary friend be a good thing?
“What's he called dear?”
I pause and wait.
“Um…….I dunno?”
“What does he look like?”
“Um……..jus ordinary.”
“Can you describe him to me with your 'good describing words'?”
“Um………..no………..but yah can look for yurself,” he adds as the wobbly spoon points at his Dad's back.
We all look.
His Dad shoots from his chair flailing.
“Good grief! That “Praying Mantis” must be three inches long!”
So much to share, so little time.
July 25th, 2008 at 3:34 am
LOL! That just gave me the shudders!!
July 25th, 2008 at 4:09 am
OMG! I think I would have fallen out of my chair!
July 25th, 2008 at 4:36 am
ok, so it took a kinda scary really icky totally creepy crawly thing, but hoorah for shared attention!
July 25th, 2008 at 4:51 am
holy moly!
July 25th, 2008 at 5:59 am
Poor Dad, but nice using of his words!!!!
Did he get to keep his new friend???
S
July 25th, 2008 at 7:49 am
Yep. That would freak me right out too. Yipes!
July 25th, 2008 at 7:54 am
LMAO
With the fascination Feral Beast has for Praying Mantis’ and the adoration Praying Mantis’ seem to have for my hubby (The Spouse) I could easily picture that conversation taking place in my house LOL.
July 25th, 2008 at 8:14 am
LOL!!!! That is awesome.
July 25th, 2008 at 8:20 am
*giggle* I love that he didn’t think a warning was necessary….after all, it’s a friend, yes?
July 25th, 2008 at 8:24 am
That’s a very special friend!
July 25th, 2008 at 8:41 am
Hahaha! Poor Dad.
July 25th, 2008 at 10:20 am
Hee, hee! We were once given a praying-mantis egg sac to hatch in our yard; it was fun to have so many of the critters around, but they never did get onto anyone’s clothes…
Great noticing, cool conversation!
July 25th, 2008 at 10:53 am
lol! This brought such a huge grin to my face!
July 25th, 2008 at 1:33 pm
Loved this. I could definitely see this happening around here.
Usually, we have problems with bugs in the house, since it’s summer and our house is over 100 years old, several bugs like to come in where it’s cool.
Buddy Boy has real problems with me or Liz shooing them out of the house, no matter how small they are. “They’re my friends!”, followed by tearful good by’s to his new friends. And that’s just picking them out and showing them the door. Killing them is out of the question.
Joe
July 25th, 2008 at 2:21 pm
That is no “jus ordinary” looking fella! EEK!
July 25th, 2008 at 3:23 pm
That is the funniest thing I have heard all day! I would be brushing myself off for an hour.
Thank you for your comment about my son starting kindergarten. I want to give him a good picture without getting into too much detail – it’s better if things happen that he didn’t know about than if something I said would happen doesn’t, you know what I mean?
I have enough trouble keeping my credibility with him – the other day when we were talking about chickens and turkeys, I had the audacity to mention that some people eat duck. I have never heard such a true laugh come out of this boy at my silliness/ignorance.
July 25th, 2008 at 4:53 pm
Hello Maddy,
What a sweet story.
It’s good to see how you interact with your son (who I presume is one of your autistic two).
I liked the punchline about the praying mantis – complete with picture of towering specimen of same. (I’m sure Dad did too once he got back down to earth!)
Cheers,
Jeff Deutsch
July 25th, 2008 at 5:03 pm
Everyone is a friend to Heidi until proven otherwise. I’m terrified that she will one day befriend one of the poisonous spiders that here in Australia seem to be everywhere.