Thursday, December 11, 2008

A Pleasant Evening Indeed


Last night I babysat for the just-turned three-year old next door. We shall call him Harley because that's what Mr. Moon called him when he was a baby for some indeterminate reason. Certainly not because that's his real name.

Anyway, I have known Harley since birth because I was there when he was born, a mighty child from the get-go. He's grown up here in Lloyd and is like the village mascot, having charmed the hearts of the post mistresses, the local wine-o's and all the neighbors as well. Hell, he's probably friends with that guy who throws his beer cans in the ditch for me to pick up.

Harley is a loving child.

His mom and dad dropped him off here at six to go on a much-deserved night out in town and Harley, as is his wont, headed straight for my piano and there he pretty much stayed the entire time he was here. He plays the piano with great and dramatic technique and sings along.
He knows quite a few songs.

I tried to get him to eat supper but he wasn't interested and headed back to the piano to serenade Mr. Moon and me while we ate.

The little man is a born performer. At Lily's wedding back in April, he took the stage during the reception and played air guitar and sang during every song and the seriousness with which he took this gig was amazing. He looked as if he was being paid the big bucks to stand up there and by golly, he was going to make sure he gave his money's worth.

I'm not sure I'd ever seen a two-year old display such serious intent. No ADD for that boy. He had a job to do and he did it for two hours.

I have a feeling that "performer" is written in his chart somewhere.

But he was quite open to going back to his house and leaving the piano behind. We read some stories before he went to bed which I loved and probably enjoyed more than he did. I realized that although I had thought I wasn't doing any acting for many years, I actually was because the way I read stories to a child is a thing of beauty. I'm not kidding you! They should film me! I am as dramatic a story-reader as Harley is a piano player.

When it was getting close to bed time, I asked him what he sleeps in and he, being in the literal stage, gravely replied, "I sleep in a bed."

Well, yes. But what do you wear when you sleep in the bed?

"Night clothes."

And so I got him into his night clothes and he used the potty and brushed his teeth which mainly meant he sucked the training toothpaste (really- they make training toothpaste) off the brush while saying, "Round and round and up and down," and so forth.
Not being his parent and responsible for his oral health, I was merely amused.

I offered him two choices before bed- one more story or a game of Candy Land. He tried to bargain me into both, but I stood my ground and after a rousing game, he amiably agreed to go to bed, which he did. He turned off his own light and got in his bed and told me that he sleeps alone, which I took to mean that I should leave now, so I did after I kissed him good-night.
He called out to me several times to make sure it wasn't time to get up but there was no whining or fussing.

It was really a lovely evening that I had with Harley and I feel like he's crayoned on my heart, which already looks like a parent's refrigerator, all filled up with the scribbled drawings of dozens of little children whom I have loved, some of them my own, some of them belonging to others, but all of whom have left their mark there.

I thought of this as I walked home under the dark, drizzly skies of Lloyd, the village where Harley is growing up, the place where he is loved.

14 comments:

  1. I wish you lived close enough to babysit my kids once in a while! Mr Farty loves a dramatic reading, and Ceara would love to play a rousing game of Chutes n Ladders.

    ReplyDelete
  2. :) That was so sweet! And, he sounds adorable.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Heck, remember the Shampoo Lady? That was some acting right there.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I do like the Chutes n Ladders. I think I'll get Harley that for Christmas, Ms. Rachel. How do your children feel about excessive kissing?

    Nicol- he's pretty darn cute.

    DTG- the Shampoo Lady was not acting. That was possession.

    ReplyDelete
  5. This is a lovely post Ms. Moon about you and Harley. I think I enjoyed even more because I am so looking forward to nights like this with my future child. When I hear stories like this I am not so scared.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Not sure who's being kissed excessively, but I am constantly smothering Mr. Farty with kisses. Ceara is far too cool and sophisticated for that, but she loves a good hug, even if its from her weird old mom.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Very, very nice. I'm sure Harley's idyllic life is all the richer for having you - and all those charmed others in it.

    Shife,
    Being a parent never stops being scary as all get out, but the hair-raising escapades, moments of bone-chilling fear and helplessness, and the endless ragedy parade of snotty noses, inexplicable pouty fits, and always-late-because-it-takes-a-truck-load-of stuff-just-to-go-get-a-gallon-of-milk is more than offset by the infinite magic of living in the magnificent corona of a child's world.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I have to say that all of Harley's deliciously lovely qualities are a direct result of two parents who basically follow him around all day long, every day, answering all of his questions and being superb parents.
    His precious beingness did not come about as an accident.

    ReplyDelete
  9. And zg- whoever you are, you know exactly what you're talking about and besides that, you put it wonderfully well. Beautifully.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Can you, um, move up north? We Yanks don't bite, you know. And I have two ickle ones who could use a good story now and again.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Aunt Becky- uh, no. I can't live up north. It is not in my genes. But you could move down south...
    I mean, you've seen pictures of Lloyd. Doesn't it make you just want to pack up and move down?
    There would be stories.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Dearest,

    It is so cool and groovy that you wrote about ole Harley in your blog memoirs... It brings tears when I am reminded that we, his parents are not the only ones who find him precious.

    To say I'm very grateful that you all live so close and can be such a big part of our lives is an understatement. We love going to the gatherings and celebrating with your clan. Thanks for all the years of love, fun, feasts, friensship and favors. The Moon Clan really is a magical one, and we are blessed to be part of it.
    Love,
    Harley's mom
    PS. How the hell did you get him to go to bed by himself??!
    PPS Happy Solstice!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Hello Little Flower- I have no idea how I got Harley to bed. I think we had some perfect understanding going. He knew I wasn't going to tolerate any silliness when it came to bed and he was tired anyway.
    I offered to lay down with him but he said, "No," and that was that. He did allow me to kiss him good-night.
    He was SUCH a good boy.
    Because you've raised him so well.

    ReplyDelete

Tell me, sweeties. Tell me what you think.