We bought “Lilo and Stitch” for Maddie. And she loves it. It’s great to see her so entranced in a Movie like that. (OK, sometimes it’s disconcerting to see her so entranced in front of the TV like that…) Anyway, Stitch is this little cuddly sentient alien weapon. We didn’t know exactly how much Maddie loved watching Lilo and Stitch until during one dinner, when she started chewing, or rather ravishing her food just like Stitch would. She’s scoop an impossibly large amount of food on her spoon, and say, “Yaaummm!” Then she’d get as much into her mouth as she could in one go, and chew ferociously with her mouth open, spilling crumbs everywhere, “Yum Um Um Um Um Um!” And then, giggle maniacally, of course.
My parents came for the weekend a couple of weeks ago. They volunteered to watch the kids for a couple of hours while we take in a movie or something. It’s been a long time since they’ve changed a little baby like Aaron, so we re-acquainted them with his changing table and accessories. Lillian was driving, and the rest of us were gathered around, watching. She didn’t have his wiener covered with a cloth, and when I pointed that out, she said, “It’s OK, he just peed two minutes ago.” That was fine by me, I thought. The kid’s empty. And as long as my parents knew where the cloth was, all’s well. Of course not. In less than 30 seconds, Aaron fired off a pee stream straight onto his onesy. We should have known.
So, one day last week, I come home from work and enter the kitchen. Lillian’s cooking. Aaron’s in his bouncer. Maddie’s playing with whatever’s at hand. The phone rings and I get it. “Hello?” And I hear just a little background noise, so I know it’s not a computer. But no one replies, and the caller isn’t hanging up. I figure it’s a telemarketer, but wonder what’s taking him so long, because I can hear the background noise. I give him another “Hello?” Then I hear what sounds like gentle breathing. Like a kid. So I figure it’s one of Maddie’s cousins, and I tell Lillian, “I think there’s a kid on the other link.” So I ask, “Who is this?” And just then, I see that Maddie’s playing with the cell phone. “Maddie? Maddie is this you?” And I watch her say “Uh huh,” as I hear her voice through the phone.
She’d just happened to hit the right buttons to turn the cell phone on, and redial the last number called. It was Maddie’s first unassisted call! And she called me!
Who We Were Then
- David
- Lillian
- Maddie (2 years old)
- Aaron (0 years old)