Hey, Mom! Discovery

Walking Milo to school this afternoon was just what my spirit needed -- ten minutes with the joy of discovery.  After being initially reluctant to head out the door, he perked up the minute his feet hit the sidewalk.  Talking a mile a minute, stopping low to peer under bushes, dancing randomly, dashing ahead of me to peer between his legs, grinning.  Meeting his classmates happily, exclaiming over the equipment for an obstacle course.  Reading six or seven other student's names as he skips to the peg with his name atop.  Such lightness, such fun, such joy...

Here are some of the things he said as we meandered through campus to his school:

Hey, mom!  Why are the steps so tall?
Hey, mom!  These pink flowers came from that tree!
Hey, mom!  Why does he have short pants and long sleeves?
Hey, mom!  That guy looks like Will's dad!
Hey, mom!  What would happen if I ran down that hill?
Hey, mom!  I can jump over this crack really high!
Hey, mom!  There's paper on the ground!  That's rude!
Hey, mom!  What is this?  (seed pods from a tree)
Hey, mom!  If I plant them, will a tree grow?
Hey, mom!  They're playing frisbee!
Hey, mom!  There's a ball under this bush!  And a can, that's rude!
Hey, mom!  Those people are smoking!
Hey, mom!  Do you know any of those people?
That's good because they're smoking and that's gross!
Hey, mom!  I can count by twos!  Two, four, six, eight, ten -- like that, mom!
Hey, mom!  Let's go this way today -- I've never been this way!
Hey, mom!  I want to wear my backpack upside down!
Hey, mom!  Is that the building with your office?
Hey, mom!  I don't want to wear my backpack upside down anymore!
Hey, mom!  Can we listen to "Rolling on the River" again on the way home today?  (Proud Mary, naturally)
Hey, mom!  We're right on time to school!
Hey, mom!  There's Ben's name!  And Lucy!  And Evan!  And Moorea!  And Lydia!  And Ben N!  And mine!
See ya later, mom!