Today is my 4 to 5 year old son's birthday. I'm up at 0400 finishing the wrapping of his new Zebco 33 fishing pole, a kite, a small wooden train and some other small items and trinkets.We have this 'thing' where we end up doing these small adventures in the woods around our house. We walk out back and up the hills to look at the mountains, make shapes out of clouds, throw stones in the brook and look for the suckers running upstream to spawn, and find morel mushrooms along the paths through the woods. But, it's not so much the boy following the Dad, as it's the Dad following the boy with his self prescribed title as "Captain of the Leaders" or sometimes, when he is really full of happiness he is the "King of the Presidents." Step out of line and Captain of the Leader tells you so. Miss throwing that stone into the brook where the big rock is and hurries to find another to get it just right. He could do that for days. And questions? Oh brother: why is that rock shiny? why is this flower brown? when you were a little boy did you have a tractor? And so it goes, the Dad following the boy, and the boy as Captain of the Leaders. Throwing stones, watching for fish, talking and being silly along the paths. I don't mind wrapping presents at 3:00 AM because I am fortunate, happy and proud to be living with my 'King of the Presidents.' to many many more happy birthdays Son...but can't 5 be forever? 9N'er
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