Wednesday, October 10, 2007

Crossing Over



My youngest grandson, B2, is a real trip. He'll be 4 in December, is the size of a 6-year-old, and talks like a 3-year-old. Which, of course, he is. He'd rather eat cookie dough or "coctions" (concoctions that my daughter makes, usually sugar, butter, maybe some chocolate chips) than food. He's worn out one stroller and is outgrowing a second; but how on earth do you navigate the Magic Kingdom with a 3-year-old on foot? He slept for over 2 hours when we were there last month.





B2 started preschool this year. He loves it. It's not the preschool that he chose, so it took some convincing, but he loves the teachers, the kids (Paper is one of his best friends--her name is Piper), the coloring, the books, the storytelling, and the praying. It's a church preschool not too far from their house.

He had a rough start back in August. He'd never been in a structured setting before, especially with a bunch of other kids, and B2 had his own ideas about how things should be. Much to his surprise, Miss Margie didn't agree.

It didn't help that the poor boy had to be re-circumcised the middle of August. The OB who did it when he was born did it incorrectly, so it had to be redone sooner rather than later. Trust me, you don't want to know the details.

So, he went to school with two strikes against him. Starting late didn't help.

On his first full day, he got into the car and announced, after being asked by Mommy how his day was, "Miss Margie say B2 out of control!" Mommy parked the car, grabbed B2 out of his car seat, and found Miss Margie. Evidentally there'd been hitting and shoving, and B2 had no concept of sitting quietly in a circle. Or of sitting quietly. Miss M had sent B2 to the director's office for the rest of class. The director was very nice and B2 had a lovely time.

Miss M was all for kicking B2 out of preschool after his first day. Miss Director said that he was there for socialization skills and it would take more than one day for him to learn them.

Anyway, long story short, B2 has learned (with Mommy, Daddy, and A's help) (and lots of advice from his aunt Betty, an early childhood education specialist) how to act like a civilized human instead of a wild animal. He's doing very well in preschool and looks forward to going.

Yesterday, he told J "B2 died today." (He's still learning those pesky pronouns; A--and every other female--is still "he". He speaks of himself in the third person.) She couldn't get any more out of him, other than "he died in the bathroom." She was really spooked; he's said things like this before (see Grawnpah) and insists that he talks to angels (and they talk to him). Grawnpah also used to talk to him, but last month B2 told me that Grawnpah went back. Where'd he go? "He went back to the front of the castle. He walks on flowers on the square with Mickey Mouse."


Um, yeah. He walks on the flowers (see blue flowers) in front of the castle (see castle) on the square (okay, sort of a square pedestal) with Mickey Mouse. Simple enough.

He has also started talking about dreams and visitors. He was very excited to learn that J dreams too. He's never before used the word "visitors" in any context, so it's kind of spooky when he uses it to describe the people in his dreams.

What really spooked J, though, is this: Mike's grandmother, Maw, died yesterday (at 91. She was a real spitfire.). Maw adored B2; she thought he looked like her husband. He last saw Maw 1.5 years ago, so at his age, he knows the name Maw and remembers the notes she wrote to him, but he doesn't remember knowing her.

We don't have any details yet, but I'm betting that she died sometime in the morning. While B2 was in the bathroom at preschool.

2 comments:

~Tonia~ said...

James (2 3/4) asked my Mom the last time he spent the night with her if she sees ghosts. He then proceeded to tell her that they are nice. My Dad passed away a few years before James was born, but he kept telling us that Grandpa was standing in the dining room then he told me one day that he was sitting on our couch. My Dad loved kids so much and if he would have lived to see James he would had been attached to him at the hip for sure. I think he is spoiled now, if my Dad was around James would be spoiled beyond help.

I believe that he does see my Dad. We will James talking to him in his room, etc. I don't believe that he being only 2 would make something like that up. Not to mention the things that James can tell us after his "conversation" that he could have never known before.

It is kind of spooky, but on the other hand it is comforting knowing that James has an angel watching over him.

rita said...

Incredible! My niece (22) has seen a ghost in her bedroom many times. Her family lives in a big old house, and she's awakened many nights to see someone standing in the corner and, once, actually sitting on her bed.

I don't think either that kids this young would make up something like this. My daughter had an imaginary friend, but she was obviously imaginary. She usually appeared when J had done something that she wanted to blame someone else!

My grandmother died less than a year before my two oldest grandchildren were born. She adored babies. I know that she has visited them.

My grandfather's youngest sister told us (near the end of her life) that her family had "the sight". She'd see people in the house and ask her mom who they were, and her mom would say, "Oh, that's Uncle so-and-so; he's dead."

I love the thought that our loved ones come back to visit, even to visit those they've never met physically.