Prior to our walk, Isabelle and Michael had been playing so nicely together in the front room. Isabelle was of course playing with her Minnie Mouses and Michael, was so kindly being the good big brother and pretending to do all sorts of fun stuff with her for Minnie. Minutes before the decision to go for a walk, Minnie, Michael and Isabelle had been taking their babies, aka Minnie's" to the grocery store. I guess I interrupted them when I said go get your shoes on we are going for a walk. I say interrupted because there was NO way, I mean NO WAY we were going to get Isabelle out of the house without Minnie, and by that I mean Minnie in her stroller with Isabelle's purse on the handle.
I wondered to myself exactly how far we'd get on our "around the block" walk with Isabelle pushing her Minnie. The image flashed into my head. We'd be about 5 houses down the block (just far enough away) and Isabelle would get tired and demand to get picked up. While I carried Isabelle in one arm, I knew that meant my other arm would be trying to finagle stuffed Minnie in her stroller as we attempted a "fun" family walk.
Even with that image clearly pasted into the front of my mind, I gave in and said, "Okay Isabelle let's take Minnie along." Happy as all get out, Isabelle bounced along pushing her stroller while talking to Minnie the entire time as we left the house. I walked along side Isabelle to make sure she didn't make her way into the street and soaked in every minute of what I was watching. Isabelle decided some where along the way that she was taking Minnie to the grocery store. And at the store she was going to get bananas and cheese. Yes, just bananas and cheese. As we made our way down the block and past the 5th house, I wondered when she would start slowing down. For she was still bouncing with happiness and pride that SHE was taking her baby to the store. On top of that she was being a very protective mother, as we approached a crack in the sidewalk that was raised higher than the pavement before, she picked up the entire stroller with Minnie still fastened in and gently set her down past the big bump. Then she'd say, "There you go Minnie. There you go."
In some ways I couldn't believe I was watching our "baby." I use that term pretty loosely now as I know she is anything but that. I can't believe how big she is. She talks in full sentences, can follow commands, understands most things we say and is just soooo big. When I shared what happened tonight with my parents, they said, "Just wait, soon she'll be riding her bike around the block like the boys do." I told them to stop. I'm not quite ready for that.
As we rounded our 3rd corner on our way back home, she was still happily trotting along as if she was a mommy and had to protect her baby. She continued to talk to Minnie and repeated to herself what she was going to buy. "Bananas and cheese, okay Minnie?" Perhaps she's heard her own mom repeat the grocery list to her a time or two. Ahem, I mean, I have no idea where she got that idea. Strolling up to our house, after our good 20 minute walk, the walk she did entire on her own, without being picked up or asked to be carried once, I was again reminded just how quickly she's growing up.
While I wish I could stop time and relive these moments over and over, I know that is not how it works. I guess that's why I was probably so insistent Jarrett take out his phone and start recording. I just had to capture our little BIG girl in her excitement of taking her baby to the store.
Until next time,
Angie
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