Autumn and “Broken” Leaves

It is always such a joy to pick Chayton up from school. The minute Chayton sees you, he drops what he is doing, yells "Mommy/Daddy" and runs over to you – basically flinging himself into your arms. Who wouldn’t love that greeting after a long work day?

After stopping at the counter on our way out to get crackers (don’t mess with his crackers or cute Chayton turns into a screaming banshee), we have another ritual outside. There is a lone bush, quite Charlie Brown in appearance in the grassy area of the entry way to school. Standing all by itself, small and lonely. Except when Chayton goes home.

Each day, we have to walk over to the bush and touch it with the palm of our hands … And say "Ouch!" You see, the characteristic Chayton loves about this bush (besides always being taller than it) is that the bush is really prickly – it actally hurts when you touch it. So we both stand there, touch the bush, say "OUCH!" and shake our hurt hands as we laugh at each other for touching it.

Today after our ritual, Chayton decided to wander over to the bushes next to the playground fence. Once here, we started rubbing and talking about the smooth leaves that were left on the branches. Soon, Chayton had turned, ran to the prickly bush, touched it then ran back to the smooth bush and touched it; as if to say "Look, I get it! It’s cool – they feel different!"

Then I mention that the leaves have fallen off the tree because it’s fall (try explaing "falling" and "fall" as in autumn to a 2 year old … I’d just skip it). But what he did get … "Broken, Mommy" as he picked up the leaves and tried to put them back on the branches. What a cutie pie!

Melissa
**Sent via BlackJack**