The Hobbit Is Four

It’s a sign of the times that I’m just getting around to this. The Hobbit’s been four almost a month now. O well, what can I do? Life pulls me in many directions these days and I’m a gal who spent most of her life seeking just one direction for her attention. Again I write, o well. At least I am feeling fully alive.

The Hobbit helps with that – making me feel fully alive that is. He is so alive himself! He is pretty excellent and I wish I had more time and more energy to write about him. Perhaps one little story will suffice.

A few months back, one of my sisters sent us a (totally excellent) picture book called Nine For California. In it, a girl called Amanda travels in a stage coach with her mom, brothers and baby sister to California during the Gold Rush. It’s difficult to say who enjoys this story more – the Hobbit or the Husband and I – but either way, the result is we read it a lot. After one reading a week or so ago, the Husband said to the Hobbit, “And you know, near my office there is a museum where you can see a real stage coach.” This thrilled the Hobbit of course, and a promise was made.

So it was that last Monday, when the Mother-in-Law was in town and willing to stick around while Tiny Two took her nap, I saw an opportunity. “Hey Shorty,” I said, “how about we go downtown and see the stage coach?”

“The one near Dad’s office?” he asked.

“That’s it. We can bring Dad a treat (it happened to be the Husband’s birthday), then go see the stage coach he told us about.”

The Hobbit was all over this idea, totally excited, and so was I. It’s not often we get to go on adventures together, and just the two of us, and on public transportation.

Since the Hobbit was already dressed, I had only myself to get ready, and get ready I did.

When I came back from my room, I found him putting on one of the Husband’s neckties with the help of his grandmother. “What are you doing, Shorty?” I asked him. “What’s up with the tie?”

“Oh,” he said in his deep ‘guy’ voice, “I have a meeting today.”

He sounded just like the Husband, and he was so serious about the whole thing. I tell ya, as we headed down the street, I and my little guy, with him wearing a tie that hung almost to his knees, chattering away about his upcoming meeting and frequently “checking his email” on an old cell phone he’d asked to borrow before we left home, I felt happier than I had in a while.

I sure do love that guy. He can be a handful and a half, there’s no denying that. But he’s great and my life is better with him in it. Happy belated birthday, Hobbit!