Now that Julia is older and in school, lately, I've been reminded how motherhood is also a journey of REdiscovery. As she learns and tries new things -- then comes home to tell me about them -- I rediscover them all over again. In some cases, the tidbit is something that I haven't thought of in years, or even decades. And, I've learned, that these rediscoveries are almost more fun the second time around.
Take Girl Scouts, which has been a whole rediscovery of itself. This year, Julia is a Daisy Scout, which is basically a pre-Brownie, which is a pre-Junior Girl Scout, which is a pre-Girl Scout. There's this whole hierarchical order to the organization that I was never really aware of. Anyway, she only meets with her troop once a month or so, but she enjoys going and learning new things. At last month's meeting, the girls had about 20 minutes left to play games. They played tag, duck, duck, goose, and red light, green light, but they still had about 10 minutes to spare. I watched from the side of the room, refereeing when necessary, and swaying with Charlie. That's when one of the girls said IT-- a rediscovery: "Let's play Heads up, 7-up!" The girls, including my daughter, cheered and lauded the game decision. Then, they promptly laid on the floor, faces burrowed in their arms, and thumbs out.
What? Heads up, 7-up? Oh my goodness. I said the name of the game out loud, just so I could hear it in my own voice. I hadn't thought about that game in years. It's been 20 years since I played it, I figured. I said it out loud again. It felt familiar, yet foreign. I watched the girls wiggling their thumbs in the air -- waiting to be touched-- and my own thumb ached. I remember that feeling, sitting at my desk in the fourth grade with my thumb out, then...a pause and a touch. The adrenaline. My blood pumped, knowing that soon I'd get to guess who tagged my thumb; then, I'd get to tag someone myself. Maybe, I'd tag the boy I liked. I loved Heads up, 7-up. Everyone did. And, apparently, kids still do. I didn't know this. I'd never even wondered.
Afterward, I asked Julia about it. "Mrs. C taught it to us," she told me, referring to her kindergarten teacher. "We played it one day during indoor recess." Indoor recess? Indoor recess! Geez, there's something else that I haven't thought about in, oh, 20 years. I looked at Julia completely intrigued and in awe, wondering what other magical rediscovery was going to tumble out of her mouth. I've already been reintroduced to Barbies and My Little Pony's; embroiled recess battles and the need for shorts under your skirts; "Miss Mary Mack" and other nonsense rhymes; fire safety tips like "stop, drop, and roll"; skating parties and chocolate milk cartons; and more. There's something new every day; some just blindside me harder than others. Heads up, 7-up practically knocked the wind out of me.
Since that day, I've gone fishing several times, prodding Julia after school each day for other juicy nuggets that will stir familiar feelings from my youth. Sometimes, it's not something she tells me, but something she shows me. She and I had another "stranger, danger" discussion not long ago, reviewing the basics of good touches and bad touches and what to do if she ever feels uneasy or unsafe. I used scary words with her, like "kidnapping" and "abuse." I told her to trust that I would always do everything I could to protect her, but she was scared. I could see the fear. I hugged her tightly because I remembered that feeling. I remembered the feelings that those words stirred inside me. I want her to feel safe, but I also want her to be cautious. Her reaction reminded me of my own when my mother used to talk about those things with me.
The lessons of rediscovery don't begin and end with Julia. All of the kids reintroduce me to something or some lesson all of the time. Take little Charlie, he's become a master crawler. He reminded me tonight just how quickly an 8 1/2 month old can crawl from the bedroom to the bathroom, pull himself up at the toilet, and splash in the water. Apparently, it takes about 4.5 seconds. I thought we had another month to go before toilet splashing and lighting-quick crawling. I'm happy he reminded me, because I'd forgotten.
And, then there's Henry. Tonight, he reminded how much fun I have when I slow down, put work away, forget laundry or vacuuming, and just spend some one-on-one time with my favorite 3-year-old. Daddy took Julia to see a play, so the boys and I stayed home. We baked brownies and played two hands of "Go Fish." Then, we popped in a movie and snuggled in bed. I dug out an old VHS copy of "Babe" -- the movie about the talking sheep pig. Henry had never seen it. It's one of my favorite family flicks, but I haven't watched in about 10 years. Another discovery for him and a rediscovery for me. Those are the best kind.









