Two feet off the ground.
Memories of Simon at Disney World
For Simey, gravity is something to be scorned, ignored or conquered. He may not think that through; we do.
When we cannot find him, we first look up, checking anything that could be used by him as a ladder to some higher plane that he seems drawn to.
When he was very little, just walking, he and his big brother developed some sort of deal....even without benefit of language. Simey would venture bravely into dark closets, under the deck, between the trees and retrieve toys while his brother barked orders and manipulated him by stroking his ego with the title of "Simey the Brave".
Well it was cute then. Now that he is seven, too old to carry or tuck safely into a stroller, keeping track of him at Disney proved a stressful ordeal indeed, for Simey chooses to respond to no amount of barking.
So we arranged a plan.
Each adult kept a kid...
but we all three kept Simey....within arms length, within sight.
This actually worked pretty well.
We only lost him 34 times.
Of course to him he was not lost and always reassured us with perfectly logical explanations like "It's OK Poppy, I was just chasing that bird, or I was just trying to see if I could scale that stone wall to the top, or I wanted to feel the waterfall on the other side of the three foot gap that spans that 40 foot drop. Well, it seemed like 40 feet to us!
Ok, I know I should have rescued him before taking the shot...but...then I would not have the proof. We had inadvertently left only one adult in charge during restroom break....see what I mean?
But those occasional moments when he got tired, or was totally immersed in the magic that is Disney, we were treated to the magic that is Simey.
We discovered that he is our hat boy. Mommy knew that, but Poppy and I didn't.
This kid voluntarily laid out 78'9% of his total discretionary spending money on a hat.
He looked at it
, wanted it,
agreed to wait till later to see if he really wanted it,
decided an hour later that he did,
and
after several financial sessions with Poppy,
he bought it,
wore it proudly all day.
As far as I know, he never doubted his hat purchase.
That is cool to me.
At seven, he has a signature style.
.
There were other hats
He just wanted a picture of himself in them though.
I would see him looking at them and remind him that Thursday was shopping day.
So I did
We discovered just how uniquely manipulative he is though.
and now...
His adorable smile will never so completely fool me again.
(maybe)
When we returned to our rooms, he started to make us think he was deceived by us and that we were guilty of grave financial injustice and therefore owed him hat money.
He has the makings of a lawyer, I tell you...sorry to all you attorney friends...for he almost convinced each adult, at different times and in different ways...to pay for his hat, therefore freeing up his 78.9% for the shopping on Thursday.
(Almost I said.)
We put our adult heads together, heads that were by then swimming in confusion, instead of the nice pool 13 floors below,
and
we took a united stand.
I love the little smile that crossed his face when he realized he had been discovered.
He admitted defeat very graciously.
I think he was proud that he had engaged us and had been rewarded with our attention.
He had been listened to.
I really think that is all he wanted.
. It is only when he is ignored or misunderstood that he becomes rebellious and falls into a heap.
I loved his random dancing whenever a tune distinguished itself from the general cacophony around us.
We saw this at his brothers football games too. Simey was supposed to be the water boy...a privilege given to him by a hopeful coach. But his job should have been entertainer because when the victory music was played after a touchdown and the time was right for the water boy to dash out to rescue the parched players on the field with water,
Simey would be seen Dancing.
Totally unaware of his responsibilities
just dancing to the music.
And so he did at Disney.
And this I will remember, for I am overjoyed when my offspring exhibit freedom of expression...that expression I so sorely lacked as a young person.
He was the first of the three to engage the juggler,
How I loved the expressions on their faces as they became lost in the imagination of Walt Disney that was present around every corner
I watched their Mommy about thirty years ago as she too was exposed to this happy place. The expressions were the same.
After hours of taking this little distracted bundle of joy by the shoulders and guiding him off railings, and fences, stonewalls and flower beds, I gave him a chance to sit independently on the ride. I told him it was OK if he sat quietly and proved what a big responsible boy he was.
He was delighted. 
He turned to me and said proudly, "Nana, am I proving myself?"
Wayne and I nudged each other in amusement and I replied "yes Simon, you certainly are proving yourself.
We are so proud of you."
Simon beamed
And Simey likes tradition
The morning coffee or orange juice on the balcony was not missed by him.
He initiated the cheers, so smiling over this re-discovered treasure of 7 years, we joined in...coffee cups engulfing his innocent juice glass.
Two feet off the ground is not a bad thing.
Dancing "like no one is watching" is exhilarating for those watching,
and smilingly acceptingly when caught in the act of selfishness is childish maturity.
I will cherish these memories.
Simey knows how to live,
how to chill,
how to love.
When we listen to him, he listens to us.
I love the lessons this boy teaches me.
Charlene...proud Nana
