Every Friday I spend the day with my nephew, Omar. He’s the one who’s 4 and eager to knit on the sofa next to me. (see earlier post about the knitting lesson) Omar’s current passions include:
- dinosaurs, dinosaurs, dinosaurs
- pizza — everyday is not too often
- all creatures great and small
- books, especially the ones all about dinos, of course
- empty cardboard boxes large enough for hiding in
He usually arrives in his pj’s and his first question is, “What are we doing today, Aunt Lisa?”
First thing on Friday mornings, I make my list for the day, which might include a drive out to Hollis to pick up farm-fresh, organic, free-range eggs. The up-close-and-personal visit with the furry-footed hens and their resident rooster is a favorite bonus! There’s always a trip to the library for dinosaur books. And pizza for lunch. I’ve discovered that there’s no car radio on Fridays — Omar keeps a running dialogue going, no matter how long the ride.
Afternoons you’ll find us at home, reading our new library books, practicing our knitting (I promise a picture of this), checking out the earth worm activity in the yard, feeding the geese at a nearby park with stale pretzels and bread, building with Legos, or drawing dinosaurs and snakes, all with a lot of talking thrown in.
There’s an adage that it takes an entire village to raise a child. The opportunity to be a part of this little guy’s ‘village’ gives me great joy.