Early yesterday morning, I picked up Audrey’s two littlest boys at their home… Benjamin (2) and Henry (1). I am helping out with the 4 boys while Audrey is at Fashion Week in NYC, and yesterday morning was perfect for a romp at our local playground while the older two boys were at pre-school.
It was a beautiful Monday morning. We stopped at Dunkin’ Donuts first (don’t tell Mommy & Daddy!) for chocolate covered donuts because Benjamin loves chocolate covered donuts. I would discover that Henry does, too… and I think this may have been his first, but certainly not last, experience with donuts. Uh, oh. I may be in big trouble. But anyway, I thought it best to eat at my house because of what a 1 and a 2-year old might look like after eating chocolate covered donuts. (I was right.) As we entered my kitchen, the sun rays were dancing through the window that faces east. This is the perfect tip-off that it’s morning at Grandma & Pop-up’s house. The boys immediately asked for Pop-up. Ben loves to tiptoe into our kitchen and begin his search for Pop-up. Henry’s favorite 3 words are, “Hi, Pop-up”… and he repeats these words over and over again. I explained that Pop-up had already left for work, but they obviously didn’t believe me. They both called, “Pop-up. Pop-up,” as they checked the office, the living room, and the back deck where Pop-up oftentimes drinks his coffee and reads the newspaper.
No Pop-up.
Then Benjamin began to climb the back staircase that leads upstairs. Pop-up can also be found upstairs in the shower, brushing his teeth or getting dressed. Henry is now old enough to follow Benjamin up the winding stairs, but no-where near old enough to let me let him. I followed, still telling them that Pop-up was not home.
They still didn’t believe me.
But as they reached the landing, Benjamin turned to the bedroom on the left and spotted Auntie Janie all wrapped and cozy in the bed of that sunny bedroom. Benjamin giggled in a low whisper, “Auntie Janie!” And Henry giggled in a LOUD whisper, “HI GI-GI!” Henry calls Janie “Gi-Gi,” as in Gee-Gee… and I never want this precious little pronunciation to end. It melts my heart.
But Auntie Janie Gi-Gi did not budge. She did not move. She did not open her eyes. She just kept right on sleeping. (I will tell you here that Jane completed a 70.3 mile triathlon on Sunday, so I think she was entitled to be wrapped and cozy in that bed in that sunny bedroom at that early hour.)
Benjamin and Henry peeked. Giggled. Whispered. And forgot all about Pop-up. But even all the giggling and whispering and loud whispering didn’t budge the sleeping Auntie Janie Gi-Gi. But then Benjamin took matters into his own hands… or, in this case, lips. He tiptoed over to the bed, leaned way over, and kissed his special Auntie.
This kiss, from this special little prince, awoke Sleeping Beauty.
I don’t know if Benjamin has ever heard about, been told, read or seen where a kiss awakens a sleeping maiden… but he knew exactly what to do. The kiss. It’s all in the kiss. He knew.
I don’t think that sunny little upstairs bedroom at the top of the landing has ever been a happier place than it was yesterday morning. Now when my little guys visit early in the morning, they will be looking for both Pop-up and their sleeping Princess, Janie Gi-Gi.
I love it.
