As a mother, there are many "firsts" you get to witness in your child's life
First tooth.
First haircut.
First steps.
These events are exciting and fun, however each first you share with your baby brings a pang of impending sadness. These milestones serve as reminder that they are, despite your efforts, growing up. Each step brings them further away from the completely dependent baby you brought from the hospital. From baby, to toddler; toddler to child and child to, (shudder) teen.
these first "first's" bring you closer and closer to the firsts you do not get to experience with your baby.
first day of school.
first kiss.
first love.
Today I was given a gift. A treasure. Today I was able witness one of Campbell's firsts. One that I normally would not be a part of.
The First Adventure.
Now, I'm not talking first trip to the zoo kind of adventure. I'm talking bona-fide (how the heck do you spell that anyways?) lions and tigers and bears (oh my) adventure. The kind of adventure I think all boys should experience several times in their childhood. Remember the movie Stand By Me? (have you seen it? you should.)
Growing up in a family of only two girls I marvel at the difference between Danny and my childhoods. Mine was full barbie dolls and playing "house". At 6 years old Danny used to walk out the back door with a loaded rifle to shoot rabbits. (can you imagine sending your six year old out to play with a RIFLE? "don't shoot your eye out, kid" What am I going to do!?!)
He and his brothers can go on for hours telling stories of their adventures. I'll have to write them all down for him someday for posterity.
ANYWAYS.
Today Campbell went on his first adventure.
Without his mommy.
The Snow had melted from wyomings latest season hiccough, and we were blessed with a rare showing of an authentic autumn day. Campbell had been cooped up in the house for about 3 days (snow, remember?) and so I gladly shoved him out the door to play. It kinda freaks me out that I have a baby old enough to "shove" outside to entertain himself
After changing a load of laundry I went to the window to check on him.
He wasn't in the back yard.
I rushed out side to find the little twirp, thinking I had somehow left the front gate open and he was on his way to grandmas across the way.
The front gate was closed.
Hm. The only other exit is a heavy wooden gate in the very back corner of the yard. One I thought campbell was much to small to open. Turns out I was wrong. As I wander over to the gate I hear giggles from the other side of the fence. I peer over to find CJ and Aslan (the golden doodle) about 30 feet away near the far fence of the horse corral. Campbell is throwing dirt clods at Aslan and Aslan, thinking they're balls for fetching is slaming his face into the ground, desparatly trying to grab them. And campbell thinks its hillarious. Quite frankly, so do I.
I decide to watch.
Campbell periodically glances back to the gate, waiting for me to burst through, no doubt, screaming his name. Once he realizes I am not coming he decides to venture further away from the yard. I follow him along the back fence in silence. The further away he gets, I notice, the more confident he becomes. His walk became a full fledged strut! He felt pretty dang cool being this far away from home, without his mom.
But the best part of the story, was Aslan. He's the real reason I wanted to write this down. I want Campbell to be able to come back to this story and read about another first that happened today, The day campbell made his first best friend.
Aslan never left his side. He pranced alongside him, always within arms reach, as they crawled under the horse corral down towards the barn. Campbell jabbered to him (he still doesn't say many words) and Aslan perked his ears and cocked his head as if to listen intently. Campbell laughed when a cat jumped out of a bush Aslan was sniffing. Aslan rushed over to sniff Campbell when he fell from a block of wood he was trying to balance on.
It was wonderful to watch.
They were inseparable from the moment they left the corral, as they explored the barn, the chicken coop, down to the garden and back up the barn where I, sadly, had to pull the mommy card. Campbell was on the edge of a very large mud puddle Aslan had just jumped into. It was up to Aslan's knees and, being laundry day, I decided that was just part of the adventure he'd have to save for another day.
My baby is not a baby.
He's a boy.
A boy and his dog.
