Since Smallsteps has a flu and I am home with her, there isn't that much to do except play some games and chillout with her. She opened her Christmas calendar this morning and while she was already excited that she might get another packet of raisins, she was surprised it was a toy car. We have interspersed the gift range with a few "decent" gifts, though every day she has been delighted with anything she gets.
Kids are just happy to get something and do things that are just for them. It doesn't really matter if it is special or not, but when time is put aside where they are the focus of attention and the activity is of their choosing, they are happy.
At the moment, she is doing a dinosaur puzzle and singing "Let it be" by The Beatles.
The car she got was a beetle too and it didn't take her long to realize it is a VW, like our own car.
She is observant for a four year old and knows that Viski the Dog isn't going to be with us much longer. She is okay with it at the moment, but I am not sure how she will manage once he really isn't here.
She has been trying to work out ways that she can get around the issue, including having fairies come during the night to bring Viski back to us. I found this interesting. But that isn't going to happen and we aren't planning on another too soon, as I think it will be good for us to find a new normal balance for the family first, since so much has been happening over the last four years.
Dogs are great, but they do require a bit of work and it also makes it difficult to go anywhere for more than eight or so hours at a time. It has been fine for the last years as we have barely been anywhere anyway, but I hope now that Smallsteps' allergies are improving, we will be able to roam out a bit further and perhaps even make a short trip somewhere once this Covid nonsense settles.
I think that Viski knows his time is coming to a close too and he spends as much of what is left of it close to us. I think that it'll be me who takes it the hardest in the end, as he and I have probably spent the most time together, as he is my near constant companion as I write. There have been a few dogs throughout my life, but Viski is the best natured of them by far. He has also been brilliant with Smallsteps.
Like Smallsteps and most kids, life doesn't have to be "special" to be special, it just has to have some things that we value in it. When we have a little of what we value, a life of subsistence turns to a quality life. Even though much of it can be challenging, the small things in life make it worth living. One of the small things between all the work, has been watching Smallsteps open her gift every day with excitement and wonder, no matter what it is. Is it possible to maintain that attitude for life?
Perhaps the fairies can sprinkle some magic dust and grant us all the insight of unadulterated wonder once again.
Taraz
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