The Sweet Pea.
Last night as we were waiting for our dinner I wanted to show the boys the Lego Van Gogh. I reached for my phone and of course Owen said, "Mom....NO phones during dinner!" I explained I just wanted to show a Lego picture and was given a reprieve. I tried to set it up by saying, "Have you guys heard of the artist Van Gogh?" and my sweet Leo said, "oh, the guy who did Starry Night?" I about fell off my stool. I looked at him in amazement and he said dryly, "Mom....I've had years of art class...they force this stuff on you." Later, Ernie was giving his favorite explanation of relativity by Einstein ("Sit with a pretty girl for an hour, and it seems like a minute. THAT'S relativity."). God knows why we were talking about relativity but that's how our dinners sometimes go. Owen suddenly said, "WAIT Dad....were you ALIVE when Einstein was?" and started laughing hysterically. Leo responded, "Well, didn't Einstein die in about 1956?"
Huh. My sweet baby (o.k...granted I looked it up and he died in 1955 but STILL).
Leo's my baby no question....neither of our boys fell too far from the tree as they say. And like me, Leo can be kind of internal (I know that seems weird as I spit my whole like at you in this blog but trust me...this is a later in life kind of thing) and quiet...and he doesn't insert himself into everything the way Owen does. When I sit and listen to him at times like this I am blown away by what a strongly defined and intelligent person he is. Yes, he's 14, and definitely 14 in some ways...but in other ways he is much older. All his life though, people have been telling me Leo is an old soul.
I remember when I was 17 and had just finished an internship, my supervisor said something to the effect of, "I feel like you're a sponge and if I squeeze you everything you learned will come out." I took it as a compliment, which I think it was, but I REALLY understand that statement now. Sometimes I want to squeeze Leo and get it all out and yet when things come out in bits and pieces like this there is such pleasure. I will just enjoy my sponge the way he is.
My sweet beautiful sweet pea.
and of course....the Lego Van Gogh....