Bryce is in the House
Bryce and his big sister Kaylee came to visit on Saturday while their parents were getting Living Light massages, a February birthday gift that Joe and I gave to Dylan, Bryce’s dad. For six hours we yielded to play in every room in the house, up and down the cellar stairs, at the doll house, on the pool table, in the camper, in the garden. Bryce had 2 1/2 acres to run around on. “Stick heaven” I said to Joe, referring to Bryce’s love of sticks and our yard full of them after this year’s snow and ice storms.
He wasn’t afraid of Dylan’s big dog, Jazzy, that Dylan left here when he moved to Roanoke. But he was afraid of the primitive face mugs that his Uncle Josh made. They were sitting on the ledge inside the cabin that Joe helped my sons build, the one in the woods that Dylan lived in when he was a teenager. “Daddy’s house,” I told Bryce. He ran off to get his H-opa Joe to help him climb up into the loft.
As I watched Bryce merrily run across the yard with a skip in his step and sing song yell, I had a primal memory of when I was his age (nearly 2) . I remembered the feeling of being in the magical world of play, in perfect alignment, not separated from the rest of creation, and without a concern in the world. And then – as Bryce reached the edge of the property and looked back shyly at me, wondering what to do next – I remembered how the feeling of self-conscious awareness would occasionally penetrate the childhood bubble and break the spell. I didn’t know why it happened. The feeling of being unsure in a big strange world and being a blissful fluid part of it were both part of being alive.
Bryce worked up an appetite. He hungrily ate from the pan on the stove that I fed him from because he didn’t want to take the time to stop long enough to sit and eat. Later, he rested with story reading, squealed with glee, and even got grouchy a couple of times. I drew with Kaylee. Joe gave her a guitar lesson and we bounced each other silly on the trampoline. My kind of weekend fun.
Do you have a pre-verbal memory?
March 29th, 2010 8:42 pm
My kind of weekend too……only I don’t have any Byrce’s yet to visit me. xo
March 29th, 2010 9:17 pm
It might be next year before you meet him in person!
March 30th, 2010 12:47 am
I remember that feeling f connectedness so well. I ache for it. Being one with the sand flowing through my fingers and the bees buzzing around my head. Every once in a while, I’ll flow into that experience as I walk outside in the morning into the bright fresh sunshine and it will bring me to tears.
March 30th, 2010 12:45 pm
What a fabulous time! Great place to play and nurturing people to be among.
Preverbal memory? Nah, I barely have verbal memory.
March 30th, 2010 6:48 pm
Bryce is so adorable…And growing like a Weed…! Very dear pictures, Colleen….It must be such a joy to have him playing there in your house.
I do have pre-verbal memories, but they are not very happy ones.
April 1st, 2010 7:31 am
were these pics made at 2 different houses? gosh, is he getting big! i remember other pics of him with sticks when you guys took him for a walk. funny how kids can truly entertain themselves with things like pots and pans and sticks, yet parents often spend a fortune on toys. glad you had a fun-filled bryce weekend! 🙂
April 1st, 2010 12:39 pm
We usually babysit him at his house. We were excited that this time he came to ours. All the photos were taken on our property. The green house is the cabin in the woods that Joe built with my sons and that Bryce’s dad Dylan lived in when he was a teenager. I see now how it can look like two houses.