Maile is a plethora of information at bedtime. When she gets off the school bus I can snag snippits of stories from her and put them all together and come to a rough conclusion regarding what kind of day she had at school.
But put that kid in a pair of pink argyle pajamas and turn out the lights and wrap her in blankets and suddenly it all comes pouring out. I learn about who was crying after falling and hurting her ear, what was eaten for snack and at what point in the day snack was served, who stayed in line and who did not follow well and where she was sitting at lunch time.
I learn that the teacher snuck out of the class for a minute to help in the other kindergarten room and that Maile felt “lost” when she couldn’t find her friend on the playground and that after recess the teacher counts down while the kids rest their heads on their desks. I learn that Maile had to take a time out for talking to a boy about her bandaid and that her friend Tia opened her fruit snacks for her when she couldn’t do it.
As she talks I stifle a smile and have to keep myself from laughing because the words she uses to explain things are so funny, but I don’t want her to stop. Like when she told me she fell down on the playground, but didn’t cry. She said she “tripped on a log…it was a small log” and then I said “you mean like a stick?” Yes. Yes a stick, that’s exactly what she meant.
As she talks I tear up…my baby girl…morphing into something I barely recognize right before my eyes. I’m astounded when she stops mid sentence, looks me square in the eye and says, “and guess what mom!?! I like boys. (a pause as she studies my raised eyebrows)…der aawwesome.”
Yes Maile. Boys are pretty awesome.
And the best part of the conversation:
maile: And mom guess what!?! You know dat climbing sing dat goes like dis and like dat?
me: Mmhmm. (no idea).
maile: I learned how to climb it today an I just put one foot up like dat and went straight and pushed an I was doin it.
me: Oh good! So you were climbing up it??
maile: Mmhmm cause my muscles were growin….ohhh but I really wanna learn da monkey bars. It’s just dat when I get on it just feels so high…
me: A little scary isn’t it?
maile: An my arms an my hands get so tired an I can’t hold on.
me: You’ll learn. Keep practicing…you’ll learn…so what was your favorite part of the day?
maile: Hmm. I sink da park. Because Jesus is telling me to pick da park so dats why I pick dat.
me: Really? Jesus said that? (totally random, we never consult Jesus about our favorite parts of the day, but I was rolling with it).
maile: Mmhmm.
me: Why do you think Jesus chose the park?
maile: Because I’m learning how to climb dat climbing sing and he wants me to keep trying and learning an he wants me to learn da monkey bars.
(circa 2006)
And there you have it.
You can all stop your soul searching and prayers because Jesus appeared to Maile last night and all he wants is for her to learn the monkey bars. Any hopes for improvement in your families financial state of affairs, any desires for cures for diseases, any prayers longing for the answer to save your marriage…those can all stop. Jesus and Maile are working on the monkey bars right now. I’ll let you know when you may resume.
On second thought maybe Jesus made a good point with Maile…maybe we should all stop worrying about what worries us and instead just “keep trying and learning”. Personal growth. Five year olds have it all figured out, don’t they?
In the mean time, I will relish these moments when I can sit in my little girl’s room and listen as she breathlessly describes every last wonder of her day in a pair of pink argyle pajamas.