Wednesdays with Leo ~ 11

What a treat to have Aloise waiting for us at home last week for our weekly time together. Driving towards home, Leo began to tell me something but was mumbling his way through it. (I think it was about seeing Aloise). When I  asked, "What was that, Leo?", he answered with, "Never mind", very matter-of-factly. Hoping I hadn't hurt his feelings by asking him to tell me again what he had said, "Sorry I didn't hear you the first time. The wind from the open windows makes it hard for me to hear you", he replied. "No. That's OK. I don't want to say it again because I don't like to repeat myself."  Ok then!

 We had stopped by Martha's (can't remember why) and she insisted Leo take Lucia's fun house and tunnel to play with.  Aloise and I set it up in the dining room and immediately Leo began tossing it around, pretending a hurricane was in our midst.  Later he played superhero with it; picture here is Leo as a superhero wearing the house as his "hat for Power!"

                                                      Leo looking for monsters under the table.


As Leo as I headed home, Aloise asked him for a kiss and a hug.  As she bent down to hug him, he said to her, "I'm not in the mood for hugs now, Aloise. Better luck next time.", while he gave her a kiss.

Driving home, Leo finally asked me about "Whatcha talking about, Willis?", which is something I say to him very often when we spend time together. I told him about "Diff'rent Strokes" and he thought it was a riot!  He now uses this phrase at home (Annie tells me) and it's become our go-to line when we start throwing funny insults at each other.
Leo and I have quite a few routines we've developed in the many months we've shared Wed.'s together:
Leo becomes "ghost man" in the car.  He throws his blanket over his head and says, "No one is in your car". My response is to sigh with gratitude and carry a one-sided dialogue about HOW NICE to be able to drive alone, etc., etc.  Then come the kicks.  (Leo's car seat is behind my seat; sun in his eyes if it's on the other side).
The kicks usher in my HUGE disapproval that - once again- the ghost has entered my car.  Leo giggles and giggles (months of this and it never gets old for him) and waits for me to reach back to grab his legs, confirming that SOMEONE is in my car, although I can't see him.
As time went by with this game, we developed a give and take dialogue.  I would tell him that I was going to toss him in the nearest dumpster and he would never be seen again.  He would answer that he had wings and would fly right back into my car.  Other times I would threaten to put in a mailbox with a note to the mailman to send him to Timbuktu (I told him this was "the end of the road" and no one returned from there), and he would respond with his wings again, only this time telling me he was sending me to Timbuk100!

All of these back-and-forth rantings change and develop slightly.  An example: when the "ghost man" appeared in my car AGAIN, I told him how mean he was because he wouldn't leave me alone.  "What are you doing here again?!"  And Leo, being Leo, simply answered, "Mailbox".  I burst out laughing and replied with, "Whatcha talking about, Willis?" and that started a whole new game.
Leo stuck to his "mailbox" reply (which was also meant as a threat. He would put ME in a mailbox and I didn't have wings so "good luck with that!") for weeks and weeks.  Our ribbings became silly and over-the-top ~ I was/am as childish as he during these rides.
Driving home these conversations often come to an abrupt end.  And I know why. Leo is fast asleep in the back seat after delivering his final taunt.
I did ask him once if he played this game with Annie.  "No. That would be rude because Mom listens to music in the car and I don't want to interrupt her."
Remember the time I asked Leo if he wanted to listen to some music and he answered that he didn't like to hear music if it wasn't being sung to him?  Or something like that?  Clearly Annie has the upper hand here because as much as I enjoy "playing" with Leo in the car, I oftentimes run out of come-backs to keep the game interesting. Of course, a "mailbox!" taunt thrown at me always manages to push my buttons and we're off and running in no time.

 And this was yesterday.  Annie was without a nurse and asked could we take Luca (out of school now) and Leo for the afternoon.  Luca is playing the piano while looking at the keys he plays.

Aloise, the boys and I had good times with the boys outside.  Dad took them for tractor rides and just missed being  hit with a sudden downpour.