beckity

'Ssssssssssss' Elsie hisses, pointing at a long snakey animal in her book. 'Yes,' I agree, 'it does look like a snake doesn't it, but it's actually a caterpillar' she looks at me uncertainly. 'ouww?' she wonders, unconvinced. 'No' I laugh, it's not a cat! A caterpillar. Remember the very hungry caterpillar in one of your other books?' She looks into my face, confused. 'Remember how the hungry caterpillar eats lots and lots and then turns into a butterfly?' Her features relax into comprehension. 'Mo-mo!'

I am unloading the dishwasher when I hear Elsie's footsteps thundering through the apartment, all the way from our bedroom, along the corridor, through the sitting room and towards me. 'Hello you' I say, but she ignores me, grabbing a cloth we keep handy for clearing up what ever she's dropped during mealtimes, and running back the way she came. Wondering what she could possibly have dreamed up for herself now with such urgency, I leave the dishes and wander after her. When I get to our bedroom doorway, I see her at the window, where raindrops are running down the outside of the pane. She is enthusiastically wiping at the drops. On the inside.

Elsie points at the table, where the blooming bunch of peonies sit, pink and luxurious. She sniffs, expectantly, and motions at the flowers. I pull the vase towards me, and gently place it on the floor, so that Elsie can get up close. Elsie carefully puts her face down towards the flowers and breathes in. She moves from one flower to the next, comparing fluffy flower head with fluffy flower head. When she's smelt most of them, she lifts her head and gives her verdict. 'Hmm, yum yum!'

I love the glimpses I get into how the world works according to my little girl. It has a simplicity that I admire, and is full of good intentions that the reality usually lacks. One afternoon walking home from the creche, Elsie tugged her hand away from mine and pointed at a stationary car. I looked through the drizzle to see what had caught her eye, and noticed nothing out of the ordinary other than the fact that the car's wipers were going steadily against the rain. When I turned back to Elsie, she had a big grin on her face and was happily waving back. My heart smiled.