Ironic

Mondays bring with them a trip around Whole Foods in Westwood Village after a morning at Reuben's school at UCLA. I have the ride on board down in front of the orange Bugaboo stroller for Reuben so he can do his own version of skateboarding whilst studying Callum's toes which sit astride Reuben's waist.

Reuben, however, decides he's had enough of being carted around and steps off the board which has two little indents in which he places his feet, whereupon he decides to inspect the crisp, shiny locally grown apples in season. And, with this newfound independence, he takes off and, arms out to the side to balance him, he continues along the fruit & vegetable aisle and breaks into an almost run to the end of the aisle and then out of view.

I am suddenly a parent whose toddler has momentarily disappeared from view in a public place and I call out to him, hoping his hearing aid, freshly back from the menders is working, his little face then beaming a mischievous smile as it reappears from behind the shelves and I hurry along with Callum in the stroller to catch up with him.

Catch up with Reuben! Oh my! What music to my ears is that little much longed for phrase. A new sensation.

Reuben eventually finds a new mode of transportation which I'm much more comfortable with: sitting on the ride on board, his feet hanging from either side and scraping the floor with his grey Old Navy shoes as we shoot round the grocery store.