Cavemen and Swimsuits

It amazes me just how much little people are actually communicating with us without ever using words.  By watching them and listening to them, we really see and understand so much more than we think we will.  I often tend to get distracted with the busy-ness of the day to day and forget about just listening.

My little Peter, who just turned one last month, is very talkative...in a cave man sort of way.  He takes after his big brother Matthew in that department.  There is a lot of grunting and growling and hand motions.  Quite adorable, but I often forget just how intelligent he is.  Just because a person doesn't talk, doesn't mean they aren't smart.  Peter tries to talk to me all the time, nudges and grunting and pulling at my clothes.  SO much pulling on my clothes.  I have to wear tight waisted things or I loose my pants.  For real.  Not that the tight waisted thing is difficult or anything, haha, but that is beside the point.  And I digress.

So Peter, he is in the pull everything out of drawers and cupboards phase of life.  Like, constantly.  I keep reminding myself that this phase really doesn't last long, but all the cleaning up of every piece of tupperware, canned good, cookie sheet, and plastic utensil I own about every hour gets really exhausting after a few weeks, you know?  So him pulling stuff out of drawers, doesn't really raise any red flags for me.

Well, over the past few days, he has been pulling his swim suit out of his dresser and bringing it to me.  Over and over again.  He did it again this afternoon and this is how it went:

Me: (kind of only half paying attention) "Oh Peter, thanks, can you go put that back?"
He grunts and sits and tries to stick his feet in the feet holes.
Me: "You're cute Peter, but you need to go put that back, we aren't go swimming."
The older boys come in, "Oh Peter!  You are so cute!  You want to go swimming?"
He gets a big smile and starts clapping.
"Mom, Peter wants to go swimming!"
Me: (being sarcastic) "Oh yeah, guys, I'm sure that is what he is trying to say."

Then it hits me, he has been bringing me his suit a lot lately. Does he really understand that his suit means swimming?  Does he want to go swimming?  Why wouldn't he?  He loves the pool and literally tries to drink the water the whole time.  The little guy has been trying to talk to me for days and I haven't been listening.

Totally adorable, right?

Life is full of moments of trying to progress and get better.  It is amazing how many times my little ones teach me lessons over and over again.  Let's take a few more moments in the day to try to listen to the people we love and what they are trying to tell us.