Update on the Kiddos

This is for the grandparents, great grandparents and aunts out there.

Deacon-

The kid talks constantly and is always coming up with "experiments" and "hypothesis". He is learning how to read, and likes to direct the super hero games, and do "cool guy" moves. He is working on monkey bars, and pretty much just likes to hang on things, climb things and explore. Except for the climbing wall at the Y. He can get freaked out about some things, I think he is starting to have a sense of his own mortality.

We were at the mall the other day and D and R wanted to go on the escalator. Noah was pushing Lincoln in the stroller so they took the elevator and we agreed to meet two floors up. I was hanging on to Roman's hand, and the folded up umbrella stroller and we all stepped on to the escalator. Deacon did fine. So we turned the corner to go up the next one. And there I made an amateur mom mistake. Roman and I stepped on first, and I turned back to watch Deacon get on. (WHY DIDN'T I HAVE HIM GO ON IN FRONT OF ME?) He freaked out. He was doing the thing that jump ropers do- timing the jump etc to get the rhythm. Only he was too freaked out to commit.

And he stood there at the bottom while Roman and I got further and further away.

There was no way I was going to be able to run back down it and help him- I had a stroller and a Roman, afterall. I felt like I was watching my child be carried away in flood waters and I had to decide which one to save. So I did what any good mom would do, I started yelling encouragement and instructions down the escalator...but my voice was fading as I got further up.

Then they arrived.

They being two sweet looking 20 something girls.

They quickly sized up the situation and walked up to Deacon and said something (I couldn't hear what, I was being whisked away). Deacon turned away from them. I yelled, "Deacon! Let them help you!" as I clumsily helped Roman and I disembark.

He wouldn't look at them. They looked up at me.

The mall has exceptionally slow elevators, but for Noah's trip they must have mustered up a little extra strength, because I saw him and Lincoln walk off and look for us. I ran past him saying something like..."here is Roman, keep an eye on Deacon...I am heading down". Thankfully he has been a dad of 3 active little boys for 2 years now and assessed the situation quickly. I dashed around and down as fast as I could, thanked the 2 girls who had sweetly hung around to protect him at that end, took his hand and up we went.

I applauded his unwillingness to go with strangers, but did mention that if mommy is standing there yelling that it is ok to let them assist you on the escalator, that it is ok. "Just listen to mommy, ok?"

Escalator drama, it is a new one for me.