Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Naked Running and Cassette Tape Obsessions

After the girls take a bath, we let them cruise "au naturel" through the house for a few minutes. They love, love, love it. I probably would, too, if I was bound up in a diaper all day. Which, I guess, is likely to happen as the years pass. But I doubt that, should I choose to run nekkid through the nursing home, I will be as endearing as little Ruthie was the other night. As she lapped the kitchen table for the fifth time, she yelled, "Naked running!" and took off down the hallway.

Speaking of Ruthie, she has a tendency to become obsessed with various objects. This week, it is a plastic cassette tape case. She is a fan of all things Larry the Cucumber of Veggie Tales fame. Her best friend, in fact, is a miniature version of Larry. For their second birthday, Aunt Kathy bought the girls Veggie Tale coloring books and T-shirts. With her purchase, she received a free cassette tape of Veggie Tales Backyard BBQ songs, which she passed along to the girls. Ruthie treasures this cassette case. She calls it her "set." She carries it tenderly, talks with us about the pictures on the cover, and is inconsolable if someone takes it from her or if she misplaces it. Her little face turns red and real teardrops pour relentlessly out of her blue eyes. She goes from happy to hysterical in a matter of seconds. My heart breaks for her. Yep, it is that sad. And when girl and cassette are reunited, the joy is palpable. For the past two nights, Mark and I have dreaded bed time because it meant one of us would have to take the cassette from her and then deal with the aftermath. Strangely, when it is time to go to bed, she kisses the cassette case, puts it into the entertainment center, says, "Goodnight, set," closes the door, and goes upstairs to bed.

My little sweet. Is it too much to hope that she always possesses such a sweet heart?

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