my son announced during lunch,
“this grape is my very, very favorite. mama, you must take a picture of it for me.”

and so,
after i had
made him ask
nicely,

because

i am, after all, his mama,
we got out the camera.
*
his next request
went like this,
“please
(hey, he’s being polite!)
will you put
my favorite grape
on that new thing
you’re knitting
and then take
his picture?
*

at this point i am trying to gauge
just how much trouble
this new relationship with the grape
is going to wind up being.
i think maybe a truckload of trouble
since it’s become a ‘he’
and it’s still his ‘favorite’.
*

juggling the estimating in my head
while aiming the camera
i take the shot.
and no sooner have i clicked
then my son pops the grape
into his mouth
and swallows it whole.
*

my surprise must have shown on my face
because my son smirks
(this takes control since both of his sisters are near hysterical at this point)
and says, “he decided that he wants to live in my belly”.
*

smile.
kids are so great, aren’t they?

‘grapes’ taken from 6:44 of luke.