First roar; first flower

This post still needs links and pics. The original Blogware post

Ulysses held up a toy T-Rex -- a dark purple, realistically styled, suede-ish critter about 4" high, once merchandise from my street vendor days in Philly -- and said, all throaty and gutteral, "Rar! Rarr!"

Another first today: Ulysses gave his mother a flower. That's me!

We made awesome chicken and dumplings from a Food 911 show we saw Saturday morning. Starts out with roasting the chicken with fresh herbs tucked under the skin and stuffed into the cavity. This morning, I took U out to our herb container garden and gathered some rosemary, marjoram, oregano and sage. Also chives, in full purple bloom.

As I was working at the cutting board, I felt a tap at my side. Which I ignored, at first. It repeated. Finally, I looked down. Ulysses was looking up at me, his hand outstreched. In it, the long, stout, green stem of a chive flower, a purple puff of color at its end. A flower. For me. I took it, thrilled. "Svetich jedan za Mama tvoja!" (A flower for your mother!) I said. He smiled and seemed to expand in his joy. Ulysses sniffed big sniffs: "A flower, smell it!" he seemed to be saying. I held it to my nose and sniffed. He beamed.

Later, Don and U and I went walking through the construction near our house, the environmentally friendly retooling of Starkweather Creek. I picked a couple of wildflowers and gave them to Don. Ulysses plucked them from his hand and gave them to me.

Big mud puddle on the way home. U stomped and splashed in it, gleefully. After our long walk and adventures in the greenery, and a long day including a trip to Savers and a new grab bag including little cars and, an electronic Name That Tune gadget, U was tired and fragile. Don carried him in his arms and said to the form draped over his shoulder, "We're going home, and you can have a nice, warm bath." And so he did, the muddiest tub ever, filled with his favorite pouring toys.