You Know Things

Spencer, you know things.  And it's weird.  I will again remind you that you are not the first child I have taken care of for most of their waking hours.  You are, of course, my first child; but you are in no way the first child I have known well.  So, some things that would have "wowed" a first-time mom or a  first-time knowing-a-little-one-really-really-well person don't wow me.  In fact, I probably expected a bit much, overlooked a bit much (due to my 'every child is different' philosophy), ignored a bit much, and probably even down-played a bit much.  "Of course, he's smart.  I think all children are 'smart,' and then some are not nurtured as they should have been and they don't get to develop into the person they were created to be."  Kids who "know things" are not that novel.  Studies have shown that babies understand the basics of math (I can't cite it, but it was a "real" study.  I read all about it...somewhere...lol).  You get the idea.  I'm not the mom constantly blown away by all you know.  Sorry.

But the other day, you did it.  You amazed me.  Your Aunt Natalie and Uncle Levi recently moved apartments.  I think you've been to their new apartment twice.  It's possible you've only been once.  I've been sick, pregnant, and trying to coordinate a million things (and doing so quite poorly, by the way), so I'm not sure if it's been once or twice.  I know for sure it's been no more than that.  And it's been at least one month ago.  I think it's been closer to "almost" two months.

Their new apartment is on a road that is sort of a "cut-through" in West Little Rock.  It connects (more or less) two or three major streets.  So, we were over on that side of town the other day, and I cut through on their street.  In using it as a cut through, we did not come the way we would come if we were driving from our house; and we did not come the way I know for sure we came on the one occasion that I remember FOR SURE taking you over there.  So, you follow me?  We drove to their street in a way you've never been driven to their street before.

I'm sure you'll come to know eventually that I'm usually quite the rule-follower.  I'm also sure you'll come to know eventually that I DO NOT drive under the speed limit.  Barring monsoon-like rain or some other weather-phenomenon that Thompson's Driving School taught me to slow down for or you can be cited as "driving too fast for the conditions" or some thing like that, I drive the speed limit or a little bit over.  I try not to drive much over, but if I'm not going the speed limit, I'm going over, not under.  I just say all of that to say that I did not drive by their apartment slowly, I probably drove by a smidge too quickly.  I did not slow down as we approached it.  I did not nod at it, point, look at you to see what you'd say, or do anything other than continuing to drive as I'd been driving the whole trip.

And you looked out your window and said your token, "What's that?  What's that?"  Obviously, this piqued my interest.  I said back to you, "What is that?"  And you said, "Nee Nee! Nee Nee!"  I said, "That's right, honey!  That's Natalie's apartment."  And you proceeded to correct yourself, "Nee Nee's 'partment.  Nee Nee's partment."  It was the middle of the day, her car wasn't even in the parking lot.  I was floored.  How in the world did you recognize it?  I'm still floored.

Then, you proceeded to get so upset that we weren't stopping by that we had to call her on her cell phone and leave a message.  I relayed all that had just happened, and you shouted "Nee Nee" and a shortened version of "I love you" in the background, making both she and I almost cry over the sweetness of it all as we discussed it later.  Needless to say, you made her day and you've finally succeeding in truly shocking me with something you knew.  I usually think that I know what you know. Clearly I have no idea.

Love you kid!