A small boy’s love

T is back in swimming lessons again, this time as a dolphin. He loves it! Splashing, jumping, and diving. He’s working his way up because he wants to be a killer whale (next step), then a sea monster (ogopogo) and a sword fish (marlin). For his first lesson last week he confided his hope that he would have Melissa as his teacher again. She was his teacher for Minnows and he had a huge crush on her. When were waiting for T’s lesson to begin, we saw Melissa in the pool so T got very excited. But when the time came for T’s lesson, Melissa told T she was teaching Minnows. T briefly struggled with staying as a Minnow, but I introduced him to his dolphin teacher, Sophie, and she lead him off for class. I spied him jumping, splashing and giving Sophie high-fives and on the way home he said, “Sophie’s very nice. I like her. And maybe when I’m in killer whales I can get another nice teacher.”

As I’ve mentioned before, T is a big hugger. A few weeks ago we were out for dinner with his little friend C and all through dinner she wanted to go give T a hug. And yesterday, T was petting Gretel (our cat) while she was in her basket – scratching her head which she loves, so she was purring away. T was apparently so overwhelmed with love for our kitty, that he crawled into her basket to give her a hug! (I did ensure the hug happened without flattening the cat.)

One night last week, while I was cooking dinner, T appeared by my side and handed me an envelope addressed “to my Mommy”. Inside was a sheet of paper that read “I love you Mommy. T xxoo”. (He had a little bit of help with the writing from Daddy!)

I don’t know how our boy is so big-hearted and full of love with a reserved dad and prickly mum but I hope he always is and that the world doesn’t change him too much.

little boy hugs

So I just realized that my little boy will be 4 in less than two months. Argh! How did that happen? He's such a funny little boo - he is into telling jokes now. Last week he told D, as they were cuddled up under the covers during the power failure, that he had three jokes. The first one involved lunch boxes in the mud (more and more lunchboxes in the mud) and D forgot the second one and they never got around to the third. D didn't get the jokes but that isn't really the point. T loves telling them and does the hearty preschooler fake laugh after he tells you the "punch line" - just so you know....As he says " it's soooo funny!"

He's also into hugs - and thankfully he has expanded my repetoire of hugs to include tall ones (standing up), short ones, tight ones, squishy ones, nose hugs, head hugs, feet hugs....well, you get the picture. The best are the T hugs that Mummy gets! Or the sandwich hugs - mummy and her two guys!

Thought I would finally get around to writing about one of my go to recipes for T's lunchbox - spiced pumpkin bread, adapted from Windjammer Cooking by Dee Carstarphen (recipes from the Maine windjammers). I reduced the amount of sugar in the recipe and upped the wheat flour content. It has veggies, eggs, whole wheat flour and my version isn't too sweet and T loves it (calls it cake!).

1/2 c plus 2 tbsp white sugar

1/2 c. vegetable oil

2 eggs

1 c. pumpkin puree (or banana/squash/apple)

1/3 c. water (or applesauce)

1 tsp vanilla

Blend sugar and oil together until well mixed. Beat in eggs, pumpkin, water and vanilla. In a separate bowl blend together

1 c. all purpose flour

1 c. whole wheat flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp each cinnamon, all spice, cloves and nutmeg

Mix dry ingredients into the sugar blend and then add 1 c. raisins.

Pour into a greased loaf pan and bake at 350 deg for 50-60 minutes or until the loaf bounces back when pressed.