Nate’s World

The second to last weekend in May, we took a weekend trip down to SLO town.  That’s San Luis Obispo.  You say the ‘s’ in Luis.  This isn’t Missouri, this is the territory formerly known as Mejico.

One of my all time favorite things to do is to take the boys to play in the creek that runs through the middle of town.  Two trips ago we ended up with two boys in their skivvies, covered in mud.  I let them eat ice cream and it ran all the way down Nate’s leg into his Croc.  I remember overhearing a bystander watching from above the creek exclaim, “One of them is in diapers!”

After that we learned our lesson and this trip I just put them straight in their swimsuits, rash guards and Crocs.  The water was fairly low, but they still had a great time chasing ducks and trying to catch miniature fish.  Due to our perpetual drought, an “island” has sprung up in the middle of this small creek.  And while the boys were playing on the island, Nate saw a bird and chased after it, as he has done on countless occasions.

Suddenly, he was being dive bombed from above.  Two birds attacked out of nowhere.  I’m told the adults nearby did not come to the rescue of this three-year-old, but instead ran for cover.  Unfortunately, I missed the whole thing as I was sitting further down in the shade behind a tree.  I have had the pleasure of hearing Nate retell this story several times.  It’s a classic.  “I was chasing da biwrdie on da gwound and den one biwrdie swooped down and pecked my hand.  Da udder one pecked me on da head.”

A few weeks later, I’m flying solo with the kiddos at the kiddie pool.  I make them promise me they’ll sit on the side as I make a mad dash to the bathroom.  When I get back, Nate tells me he threw Jacob’s goggles up in the air and now they’re lost.

“So tell me what happened?”

“I trew dem in da air and now dare gone.”

“They must be around here somewhere.  Let’s look around.”

“Do you tink a biwrdie swooped down and taked dem?”

“No, probably not.”

“Yeah.  I tink I trew dem in da air and a biwrdie taked dem!”

This is Nate’s World.  In his world, this is not only the most logical explanation, it’s also highly probable.  Fortunately a little birdie told me to check under the pool chair.

So last night I’m in the bottom bunk with both boys telling them another story about my cats when I was a kid.  Nate says, “My neck is buwrning.  We didn’t put sunscream on today.  I tink my neck is buwrned.”

I look under his chin where he says it hurts, “Hmmm.  Looks like maybe something bit you.”

Wide-eyed, “An ant?”

“Uh, no.  Probably not an ant.”

And then he says, as serious as can be, “A wolf?”

In Nate’s World, a wolf could bite you on the neck and you might not notice till bedtime.