Payoff!

Today, for the first time, one of the boys helped me with the yardwork and was actually helpful instead of a hinderance! Woot!

We have this huge tree in our front yard; I have no idea what it is, but the builders put one in every yard eleven years ago when they were building on this street. It has these little tiny leaves, maybe the size of Simon’s thumb, that just laugh at my rake as I try to corral them. As I used a combination of the rake and the broom to make piles, Tristan wandered behind me and scooped up the piles using his kid-sized Caillou snow shovel like a dust pan, and put the leaves in the bag. How about that? Only four years old, and I’m getting actual yard work out of him.

Speaking of four years old… he’s melting my heart as I type. Two years ago at Christmas, just before Simon was born, Beloved make a slide show on DVD of all our favourite photos of Tristan and set it to Kenny Loggin’s “Danny’s Song.” Remember that one? It’s always been Tristan’s song for me. The lyrics include these verses:

People smile and tell me I’m the lucky one, and we’ve just begun,
Think I’m gonna have a son.
He will be like she and me, as free as a dove, conceived in love,
Sun is gonna shine above.

Pisces, Virgo rising is a very good sign, strong and kind,
And the little boy is mine.
Now I see a family where there once was none, now we’ve just begun,
Yeah, we’re gonna fly to the sun.

(Chorus:) And even though we ain’t got money,
I’m so in love with ya honey,
And everything will bring a chain of love.
And in the morning when I rise, you bring a tear of joy to my eyes,
And tell me everything is gonna be alright.

Tristan is in fact a pisces (I don’t know how to figure out his rising sign) and from the time I was pregnant with him until now, I can’t hear this song without tears coming to my eyes.

The boys have recently rediscovered the DVD with this song looped on it, and watch it over and over again. Tristan is now singing along with the song, his song, and it’s a perfect moment. Not a baby anymore, my boy. Strong and kind, indeed.

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