Lizards Don’t Need No Bubbles
Em was jabbering away at me earlier this week… “and a sword and you in the forest and the snake like ‘U-stralia’ and… God!!!”
Me: “Emerson. Don’t say God.”
Em: “Nooo. I didn’t say ‘Goddamn.’ I said ‘God.’”
Me: Long pause and blank look. “Okay then.”
He had me. He always has me. Lately he doesn’t want bubbles in his bath. I’m not a bath guy, but I sure thought bath people in general liked bubbles. Em these days? Not so much.
Me: “You want bubbles in there?”
Em: “No Thank you.”
Me: “You Freak. Everyone wants bubbles. Let me put bubbles in there.”
Em: “No. I just don’t want them, Daddy.”
Me: Long pause and blank look. “Okay then.”
Had me again.
Last night he’d been down (but most definitely not out) for an hour or so.
Em: “Daaadddyyy!”
Me: Dutifully walking back to his room. “Yes, Boy.”
Em: “I want my Lizard pajamas.”
Me: “No, I’m sorry, Baby. We’ve got your sweats and Cubs tee on. That’s what we chose.”
Em: Whinecrying loudly. “I want my Lizard pajamas!”
Me: Tired and irritated. “Son, you don’t even have Lizard pajamas. Just wear what you have. You look great.”
Em: Whinecrying louder. “No I just want my Lizard PJs. I want them!”
Me: Tired and more irritated I open his dresser drawer, take out all of the PJs, and toss them on the rocker to show him there are no Lizard ones. “See, Son. There are none. That’s it.”
Em: Turning on his belly and sliding off his big bed and walking to the rocker. “No, I’ll show you.” Reaches blindly into the stack of 333 pair of PJs and pulls out the orange lizard Pajamas I’ve been dressing him in for the past 8 months.
Me: Long pause and blank look. “Okay then.”
So Lizard pajamas it was. I was a jerk putting them on him. I hate that. But once he clamored back to bed, I sat by his side and petted his head the way I do. His hair thin and a little long felt perfect beneath my fingers. "We need to take you to Duke for a haircut this weekend," I said. "Yeah," he whispered. "That'd be good." A pause as the last of his long day drained away from him. Then barely audible, "Don't go, Daddy. Just lay with me for three more minutes."
He had me again.
I lay there for five.
Me: “Emerson. Don’t say God.”
Em: “Nooo. I didn’t say ‘Goddamn.’ I said ‘God.’”
Me: Long pause and blank look. “Okay then.”
He had me. He always has me. Lately he doesn’t want bubbles in his bath. I’m not a bath guy, but I sure thought bath people in general liked bubbles. Em these days? Not so much.
Me: “You want bubbles in there?”
Em: “No Thank you.”
Me: “You Freak. Everyone wants bubbles. Let me put bubbles in there.”
Em: “No. I just don’t want them, Daddy.”
Me: Long pause and blank look. “Okay then.”
Had me again.
Last night he’d been down (but most definitely not out) for an hour or so.
Em: “Daaadddyyy!”
Me: Dutifully walking back to his room. “Yes, Boy.”
Em: “I want my Lizard pajamas.”
Me: “No, I’m sorry, Baby. We’ve got your sweats and Cubs tee on. That’s what we chose.”
Em: Whinecrying loudly. “I want my Lizard pajamas!”
Me: Tired and irritated. “Son, you don’t even have Lizard pajamas. Just wear what you have. You look great.”
Em: Whinecrying louder. “No I just want my Lizard PJs. I want them!”
Me: Tired and more irritated I open his dresser drawer, take out all of the PJs, and toss them on the rocker to show him there are no Lizard ones. “See, Son. There are none. That’s it.”
Em: Turning on his belly and sliding off his big bed and walking to the rocker. “No, I’ll show you.” Reaches blindly into the stack of 333 pair of PJs and pulls out the orange lizard Pajamas I’ve been dressing him in for the past 8 months.
Me: Long pause and blank look. “Okay then.”
So Lizard pajamas it was. I was a jerk putting them on him. I hate that. But once he clamored back to bed, I sat by his side and petted his head the way I do. His hair thin and a little long felt perfect beneath my fingers. "We need to take you to Duke for a haircut this weekend," I said. "Yeah," he whispered. "That'd be good." A pause as the last of his long day drained away from him. Then barely audible, "Don't go, Daddy. Just lay with me for three more minutes."
He had me again.
I lay there for five.
posted by Ryan at 6:48 PM
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