Reds at Play...

Went to the park this morning to watch the Reds roam about, delighted to climb and run and shriek (Matthew) and lose shoes and one sock and eat handfuls and handfuls of sand (Luke).

The playground equipment, though typical, wasn't precisely Luke-friendly, though. So while Matthew had no problem scaling climbing walls and monkeying his way up barred stairs, Luke had to content himself by staying on the ground, watching.

He tried to climb up a few bars, got stuck. Cried. And as I raced over, laughing and breathless at the baffled look in his little face, I spied Matthew running from across the sandbox, calling for me.

"Mummy! Mummmyyy! Lukey's stuck, Mummy! He's gonna fall!" and running as fast as his little legs would carry him.

Managed to save Luke from tumbling onto his head, and shoved him up so he could take a turn on the slide, which he did, face-first, belly down, chortling. Matthew hovered for a few minutes while I repeated our new "game": Hoist, Teeter, Belly, Slide. Hoist. Teeter. Belly. Slide.

Eventually, Luke tired of sliding and wandered off to balance on an empty park bench while I returned to my Mummy friends, scattered about the grass soaking in the balmy air and the giddy freedom that comes with early summer mornings, warm and full of promise.

Every once in awhile, I scanned the greens before me, searching for the Reds - their hair like beacons in the sun. There goes Luke, quietly munching on a sand-encrusted banana, following Matthew with his eyes. It's hard to miss Matthew, shrieking with laughter and calling to his friends to watch out for the "Seamonster" lurking beneath the play structure.

Shortly then, Luke decided to brave the BIG slide, the twirly one, that usually requires a parent at the top and the bottom, for pushing and catching, respectively. I stood at the top, eyeing the bottom, trying to gauge how hard Luke would hit the ground if I simply let him go. While I pondered, Matthew bounced into view and grinned up at me.

"I'll catch him, Mummy! Lukey, I'll catch you! Come on down!"

And so down Luke went, tumbling, giggling, into Matthew's outstretched arms. Safe. Protected.

These boys. They make me weep, they are so beautiful. Thank God they chose me.