Yesterday afternoon we were on our way home and decided to stop in and say a quick hello to two of our little grandsons. And their parents. We had just dropped off another two grandsons and their mother a few blocks away, having armed them with McDonald’s Happy Meals and strawberry Frutopia. They were hungry and they were thrilled to have been allowed to order whatever they wanted.
Anyway . . .
The parents of the first two little grandsons were in the process of loading the family into their van with the intent of visiting the local bakery. We decided to tag along. This particular bakery has a lovely small town atmosphere and you can sit outside while you eat your pastries. Yum.
Nikolas, our grandson who will be 3 years old in a few days, came with us in our car. This is a huge deal for him. He’s a smart cookie (bakery pun intended), and took full advantage of the opportunity to captivate a different audience with his constant chatter. And chatter, he did. It went like this (note: you may need to brush up on your toddler translation skills):
“Papa, you don’t drive too fast so you don’t be scared, okay?”
“Mama, dat a twain twack, wight?”
“Papa, dat anudder twain twack, wight?”
“Papa, why dare anudder twain twack?”
“Mama, see dose birds up dare?”
“Mama, wook! Dare’s a bicycle! Two ones bicycles!”
“Mama, where da bicycles go?”
“Papa, wook! Dare’s dwums up dare! Wots of dwums!” (Apparently the converters atop power poles look like drums to Nikolas.)
“Mama, you stay in da car. I go wiff Papa. You be okay, wight?”
We hardly said a word during the entire trip, which took only ten minutes. Nikolas, however, verbalized every single thought in his little head and obviously felt like he was the most important person in the world to us. And at that moment, he was.
As delicious as the bakery’s produce was a few minutes later, the highlight of that little trip was Nik’s running commentary. This started about the bakery, but ended about something far more important.
I love how each one of our grandchildren have their own unique characteristics that endear them to us. And I love how each one has claimed their own special place in our hearts.
Inside the Writer 
I love how you perfectly captured how Nik speaks. I could see this little boy talking up a storm in your car.
Nicely done, Wendy. You’re an expert at writing children’s dialogue. I bet that will benefit “Bond of Seven.”
Nik does love to talk . . . kinda like his grandma! And his imagination is amazing.
So cute. Aren’t you glad you wrote it all down? He’ll love reading it someday.
Teresa, he’ll either love it or be completely embarrassed! Either way, it’s good.