Tres Importante

We have arrived home from Oakland, after our visit to JoAnne and Mitch and Dorian. I have some things to post, especially about our trip to the space center, but I don't think I'll get to those posts tonight. Still, there is something I do need to get to. [The above picture shows Kiernan and Dorian on the day of our arrival, in Dorian's room.]

Kiernan misses his cousin Dorian. And his Aunt JoAnne and Uncle Mitch.

It was clear that he would from the moment we drove away from their house, headed to the off-site rental car return area at the Oakland Airport. As we began to pull away Kiernan immediately began asking why we had to leave. He did so in the most sad and pitiful voice. If I had not been so intent upon finding a gas station on the weird and winding roads of Oakland this would have broken my heart. He clearly wanted to stay.

The trip home was fine, for the most part. There was a bit of turbulence, during and after the flight, but for the most part the return voyage was smooth.

A ritual that is part of most dinners at home is The Relating of The Day. This is preceded by The Asking about The Day, of course. We sit down, and before any stories about the planets can be told we absolutely have to go over the events of the day. Kiernan is often reluctant to recount his whole day, and is generally canny enough to get everyone else at the table to do so first, so that dinner is over by the time his turn rolls around. Getting him to talk about his day is important, though, so we find a way to make that happen, either by insisting he go first or by allowing him just to tell about a limited number of things that happened during the day.

Tonight at dinner I asked him to give me just three things about today. Three things that were his favorite things. Three things that made his day.

"Well...the first person I talked to today was Aunt JoAnne...no...Dorian!"

When Kiernan relates the narrative of his day, it generally begins with the first person he talked to. If he happens to be talking to you at the moment he is talking about his day, then you are the first person he talked to that day. If you appear doubtful, he will think for a second and then give the real answer. I find this interesting. This little manifestation of the need to please.

So the first thing about his day that was important to him was that he talked to Dorian first.

"What else did you like about today?" I asked.

"Playing with Dorian."

We left Dorian's house at around nine this morning. So the bulk of today, which included flying on a jet airplane, happened after that. Still, one of Kiernan's favorite things about today was playing with his cousin Dorian.

What was the third thing he liked about today?

"Toast for breakfast."

I love this, for a number of reasons. First and foremost is the way it dovetails so nicely with the other things he loved about today. That most of what he loved about today happened before nine this morning is very telling, especially since he's not even in the Army.

The other reason I love this is because toast at Chez JoAnne et Mitch is not just toast. It is...I don't know...Le Toast. It is toast of a higher order. The bread is the good stuff. Wheaty and full of grains and you know with every bite that it's good for you. Cream cheese has been invited to the party. Good, real butter will make an appearance. Lox...yes lox...will be in attendance. Some kind of wondrous chestnut butter will also stop by. There will be sea salt, and a pipkin of dill. Not to mention good quality plain yogurt with homemade granola to go on top. Homemade granola! I kid you not!

Kiernan had toast with the chestnut spread and raisins on top. It was like the Coldstone Creamery of toast. Seriously. Who knew you could do that with toast?

No wonder breakfast made Kiernan's top three today.


[JoAnne and Dorian rest after breakfast--or, as the Dutch say, Zalig Toastfeest--as we prepare to depart. I love the way they look, and the way JoAnne is looking at Kiernan as he draws on his DoodlePro.]