In a similar vein. . .

Today on the way to church I was talking to Everett about when the horses came to our complex for a visit last week.

His reluctance to get near the horses, let alone ride on one, prompted me to ask,

"Everett, were you scared?"

He looked at me and grinned.

"No mommy. Happy!"


Well. I guess something about all those feelings we talk about has sunk in.


Of course, then we have conversations like this:

(Everett needing help with something, like opening a popsicle)

"Mommy, help you, help you, help you!"

"No, Everett. It's Help me, Can you say help ME?

He looks at me with confusion. "No. ME!" He says. "Help you!"

"Everett, when you ask me, you should say "Help ME", not "Help YOU."

"No! Help YOU!" He reiterates, patting himself on the chest, growing increasingly frustrated.

"No, not "ME", I say, pointing to myself. You are ME. when YOU need help, you SAY Help ME."

"No Mommy!" He growls. "Help YOU. No me."

I try to explain it to him one more time, while I watch his impatience balloon into tension.

"NO MOMMY! HELP YOU. HELP YOU. HELP YOU!"


I think we have a little progress to make, but I'm just pleased we can even have this kind of conversation. This boy has been making so much progress lately, I can't think about it without feeling pleased.