Happy Little Boy

"Mommy! Catch me!"

We are at the zoo and Ranger has been running circles around me with a mile wide smile. It is the first time he has been given freedom to run ahead. Even though he breaks the rule of keeping me in sight, I let him have his freedom. The zoo is nearly empty. I am content to push the "go" stroller (the stroller we have in the car that just fits the baby and his carseat).

"Mommy! Come on, hurry!"

My little boy was not even all that interested in the animals. The freedom, for him, was exhilarating. In the aviary, a twisting turning and at times steep ramp gave him a whole new thrill-running on a steep grade. He wanted to do it again. I was willing to let him do it alone- a concession not too hard to make since the entire ramp was visible from the door. He wanted me to come along, even though I made a pretend big deal over how heavy the stroller is to push up the ramp. We went around two more times.

He raced me through the zoo, varying between "mommy catch me!", "I gonna catch you!" and "Let's race!". If I got more than ten feet away, he said, "mommy stop! Stop!"

We stopped at the vending machine building so I could make a call and feed the baby. I let Ranger have an ice cream bar.

Between him getting presents left and right for first his birthday and then Hanukkah, and days like this where he has the freedom to run ahead or fall behind, when he gets to get the ice cream bar he asks for- Ranger must be riding some serious happy.