A Cheery Countenance

Many years ago when our now grown children were young, my family enjoyed visiting my sister’s family. On one such visit, my sister and I were in her basement doing laundry when suddenly she stopped folding clothes and looked up at the ceiling with her head cocked to one side. Then I heard it too–the pitter patter of little feet were running at full speed directly above us. The sound went from my nephew’s bedroom, down the hall, and into the kitchen, where it stopped. My sister knew immediately what her son was doing. She stepped out of the laundry room and yelled up the stairs, “Chet, you cannot eat any of those cookies!!”

A few minutes later, her preschooler appeared at the bottom of the steps. He looked at her intently and asked, “Mommy, how did you know what I was doing?” My sister smiled and replied, “Mommies always know what their little boys are doing.”

A few months later, we were all gathered at my parent’s home for Christmas when Chet started to go outside in the cold without his jacket. My other sister stopped him at the door and asked, “Does your mother know you are about to go outside in the snow without a jacket?” Chet responded with absolute conviction, “Oh yes! Mommies always know what their little boys are doing!”

My older sister was perplexed but when Chet’s mother and I heard his reply, we exploded with laughter! Then we filled our older sister in on the background story.