You held your water bottle with a single hand and rested a leg on the stroller’s little front tray. It’s funny to see how you lean to the side when riding there; it’s like you’re ready to let the world entertain and captivate you.
Today is the first day of our Spring Break, and I chose to go to the park before your second nap to avoid the afternoon crowds. As predicted, there are only three other people and the regular animal visitors.
On our way in, we greet the big rooster and gently go around him to reach the swings. A girl and her mom smile at us, and I smile back at them. You know this routine by now. I park the stroller next to the double swing and unbuckle you. Your arms are already in the air, and you’re showing me all your eight teeth. A few eager head shakes, and we’re off.
Your attention quickly drifts off me and toward the girl next to us. Her mom sits on the swing and fixes her daughter’s braid. You’re mesmerized by the delicate and complex labor of threading hair that way. The girl notices you and tells her mom, “The baby is looking at me!” We exchange more genuine smiles this time.
Time freezes when I see you look at the world around you. You get particularly excited to see other children, and I wonder what you think when you see them play, run around, and beg their moms for five more minutes at the park. You follow the little girl as she climbs up the slide, not before announcing, “Mom, look! She’s still looking at me.”
I see a lot of me in you: Your calm, your nose, your need to rest your head after playing with the blocks for a while. I see myself in many of your features and ways of being around others. You even suck your thumb and sleep more than the norm. Today, I noticed one more thing, and that is how curious you become about others around you.
Start with a Story 
Denise! That is so beautiful! Never would I have imagined that a random thought would inspire poetry and the way you wrote that made me so happy.
I enjoy following you along and I actually told my husband I want to plan some dates redo. Thanks for inspiring me to do that and for being so kind with your time and comments. I’m glad this challenge brought me you 🙂
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Did you find it, Ana? I’ll add the link: https://mrsdkrebs.edublogs.org/2024/03/26/slice-of-life-27-another-date-redo-sol24/
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Oh, Denise, that is amazing! I want to read it!
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Oh, Elena is so lucky to have your beautiful reflections to look back on some day. I especially like how you tell her the aspects of her personality that are like you. My grandson is fascinated with other children too. Babies learn a lot from the older children they observe. (Ana, I wrote a poem today using your line about orange and blue getting along so well in the sky.)
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This slice is full of so many rich details – it’s the perfect noticing of a tiny moments. Lines like, “Your arms are already in the air, and you’re showing me all your eight teeth” capture an image in simple, clear language. I am imagining Elena reading this, years from now. How easily she will be able to see what you saw. What a gift.
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You do such a nice job writing about a simple event in your day, a memory, but weaving in so many details about your daughter’s inside and outside characteristics throughout.
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I admire the way you pay close attention to Elena’s world. Your keen sense of observation will be such a gift to her when she reads these letters later in life.
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Your description of this special moment and interaction is filled with love and appreciation for your little one.
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I love this circle back slice! The parallels it holds with the first swings slice. Beautiful.
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