My Mother's Day Flower

One of our many therapists planted this flower with Jonathan for me the other day. He didn't really like the dirt (weird kid) and really didn't want to touch the flower, but he did half-heartedly participate in the planting.

After therapy, he noticed the flower on the counter and pointed to it. I picked it up, squat down (oiwee! my knees!) and said "Fllllooooowerrr". He reached for it like he was gonna crush the bejesus out of it, and I said "ooooohhh.. gentle". Then I carefully 'pet' the flower and did a very exaggerated, over-the-top sniff-sniff of the flower, saying "yummmmmmm'.

Jonathan seemed fascinated in this strange behavior of his mommy. I repeated it several times as he moved around me in rapt attention, grinning. Finally, I said "oooh, your turn... smell" and I sniffed the flower again. I leaned the flower toward him and...

Sniff -sniff!

Ok, it was really more air OUT of his nose than air INTO his nose, but he made the effort. And he got a whiff of the less-than-exciting fragrance of this flower. He understood. He pushed the flower back to me and I sniffed. Then his turn. My turn. Daddy came in. Daddy's turn. All the while he would make this sound that sounded like "ooouuuww". It had the same inflection and intonation as the word, just missing a few elements here and there.

This level of turn taking and imitation is NEW. Exciting! He did it again the next day, and later at the park with totally different flowers. Each time he sniffed and shared with me.

Happy Mother's Day, all you mommas! Enjoy these kind of moments, and let them carry you in the darker days.

Pia