Bouncing on the trampoline with me yesterday, the Bug asked, "Did you have to go back-n-forth when you were a kid?"
"No," I answered, waiting for his mom to come pick him up.
"Did your mom & dad live in the same house?"
"Yeah," I said, almost apologetically. [ Both my parents passed long ago, so he's never met them. ]
There I was, fielding questions I never expected to hear. (He's 4 .. and becoming more aware.) Caught me off-guard. Wasn't sure how to respond.
The Bug has been bouncing on that trampoline (and going back-n-forth) since he first learned to walk .. for most of his young life.
The neighbors, who have 2 boys of their own, generously let us use it "whenever." Consequently, he has become a pretty good bouncer. If I jump just before he does, I've noticed it launches him. ( "I get your energy, dad." )
While bouncing one time he told me, "Your hair looks like a jellyfish."
Later, he started jumping (pretty high) and touching my head, as I tried to avoid him. When he does make contact, I freak out, saying, "Ahhh, the jellyfish stung my face," which makes him laugh .. so hard it makes me start.
Many interesting conversations have occurred on that trampoline. It's one of his favorite things to do (.. up there with catching butterflies). And the neighbors are so nice to him. They say the nicest things .. pay him the sweetest compliments.
••• today's entry continues here below •••
[ Their kids, who are a few years older, can do gnarly back- & forward-flips. They also have skateboard ramps in the driveway and a garage full of surfboards & bikes. ]
My legs are seriously pumped today. Lots of jumping yesterday. (Enough sweat for two showers, despite the shade of a big tree overhead.) Still thinking about those (haunting) questions, tho.
My buddy Tom said he told his daughter, when she expressed similar sentiments, that some moms & dads live in separate homes, and the kids go back-n-forth. While other parents live together, but fight a lot. So it might be better for those kids if their parents didn't live together. I see no easy answers.
