I think someone slipped Jane a margarita or maybe a little pot because she was wasted at dinner tonight.
She had this big, sloppy smile on her face as she giggled and mumbled endlessly. She was so loopy. Matt kept making funny faces at me and then he egged her on by asking her questions or speaking nonsense back to her. "Noooo, silly, I want icce ccrreeaam in a bowl, in a cone, see?" Um, no I don't really see, Jane, how you can have the ice cream in the bowl and in the cone, but you are so gosh darn happy about it we'll do our best to accommodate your request.
She was clearly over tired but instead of falling apart like a toddler or even our other child would ordinarily, she was just enjoying the silly feeling she had. I almost peed my pants laughing with her and especially at Matt's funny interaction. He can be so much sillier than me and I think he gets such a kick out of her more easy-going nature. Because dealing with Scott's heaviness all the time can be so draining.
Her behavior reminded me of the way my sister and I get sometimes. Just so ridiculously silly that we can't stop laughing. The crying and trying-not-to-wet-your-pants-gasping-for-air kind of laughing. I suddenly saw Jane as an older girl, even a woman, who I might be friends with. Giggling and sharing things and genuinely enjoying each others' company.
This is good because I also saw a flash forward to the college party girl. When Jane was a little younger she went through a phase where she put her sippy cup on her head. It conjured up an image of one of my sorority sisters who was famous for dancing while balancing a plastic cup of keg beer on her head. Is that who she is going to be? And if so, so what?
She can be the one having fun. Living life to its fullest. Just being in the moment. Scott and I can learn a lot from her. She is the light to our darkness. I love watching her enjoy herself, so happy to just be.
Scott and I can be the over-thinkers, burdened by analyzing and worrying. Let Jane be Jane.
We are all lucky to be able to watch her embrace silliness. It made my day.
So I know I promised the BlogHer post but it is so hard to put it all down. And this little moment with Jane, being able to record and share it, is really what blogging is all about. I wanted to remember it.
I love this. How wise to recognize and embrace Jane's lighter side. A little silly goes a long way, don't you think?
Posted by: kristen | August 06, 2007 at 08:58 PM