Mamaw? Will You Read Me a Story?

The scene?  Hilary and Blaine's living room in Pyrmont.

The time?  Tuesday evening after Landon and Hilary returned home from his first wrestling practice.

Pizza was the late supper.  NCIS was on tv so Papaw was engrossed in that.  It was past Landon's bedtime - he had school the next morning.

But the question came....

And who can say no to that?  Not me!

First he asked his mommy if it were ok.  Then he ran upstairs to pick out a book. Before I even walked into his bedroom I knew which one it would be.   Richard Scarry...What Do People Do All Day?



Not a surprise!  Written inside the front cover is this "Hilary Siemens.  Christmas 1987"  His mommy's book. A Christmas gift when she was 3 years old.

Always a favorite because who can resist looking at all of the pictures and trying to find Lowly Worm on each page.  He's there!  You just have to look!

We moved out to the couch in the family room to read. Immediately he struck a deal, especially after his mommy saw our book selection and said "Oh no!  That is the LONGEST book you have!" which isn't really true, but still.....we decided to read just THREE 'chapters' before he returned to his bedroom.

The ritual continued....reading each page.  Looking at the characters, the bright colors, the pictures of trucks and cars and rooms in houses and families.  This time was a little different because HE was reading some of the text, not me.  And before we turned each page, we found Lowly Worm.  He laughed. He remembered to find special things on each page that we had found before.  He snuggled close.

Then the third chapter was finished.  He asked for more. But he knew he had to go to bed.  So he ran off to his room to put his book away and said he would be right back. He needed to put in a bookmark for the next time we read together, then he would call downstairs to Mommy to come up and tuck him in.

After several minutes I thought he might be stalling. What 7 year old boy is willing to go to bed when his Mamaw and Papaw are still there?  When I checked on him, he was sitting in Grandpa Norm's chair at Grandpa Norm's drafting table under his loft.  He was bent over the table, writing something very intently.  He didn't want me to see it until it was finished.  Before he gave it to me, he picked up a pair of scissors and trimmed off the end.  He turned in the swivel chair, smiled up at me, and handed me the slip of paper.



and on the back he wrote...



You know I was crying as I went downstairs to tell him mommy that her precious son was ready to be tucked into bed.

I love that little boy with all my heart.

Good night, Landon. I can't wait until we search for Lowly Worm in the next chapter.