Mama-Come-Lately

One day, about six months ago I think, I was singing to the Boo. I don’t know the real title of the song, and I changed the words to half the verse because I couldn’t remember them. But one part was true to the original:

When you’re not near me, I’m blue

I had sung this to my kid many times before, but on this occasion, he stopped me and asked why I was blue, not yellow or green. After I stopped laughing, I said, “It means when my little boy is far away, I get sad.”

“Do you cry, Mama?”

“Sure, I guess so, yes.”

He sprang up from my lap, giggling, and put himself in the farthest corner of the room.

“Are you blue, Mama?”

I said yes, I was indeed blue.

“Are you going to cry, Mama?”

“Yes, yes I am.”

I did my best fake cry. And he laughed.

“Cry some more, Mama.”

He waited until I had gotten myself thoroughly worked up. I had taken a couple of breaks to peek at him, and each time he commanded me to cry some more. Finally, he decided he should put me out of my misery and ran to me, hurling himself into my arms.

Since that day, he has periodically asked me to play “the blue game” with him. He requires me to cry ever more theatrically, for longer periods, before he will launch himself from across the room.

It is my favorite game, ever.