Emily's Boots

Emily is enjoying the book, "Big Sarah's Little Boot's".  Years ago I bought it for my mom as a Mother's Day gift (which she used when teaching nursery school).  Now it has made its way back into my own book collection, or more specifically, Lucas and Emily's pile on the floor.  It makes me think of Mike for two very specific reasons.

Mike loved to read books to Lucas and Emily.  They had many favourites that would be read over and over again, just as this fresh new book has become Emily's recent choice.  It was a perfect way for Mike to relax with them.  He had many books memorized word for word and would recite them to Lucas on long car trips late at night, like a lullaby.  I'm certain having Lucas or Emily fall asleep while he was reading to them was at the top of his list for all-time-best-Dad-activities.  He would have loved this new book-- how the little girl tries to make her boots 'grow' and then in the end learns to embrace her new boots-- and her more grown-up self.

This book has probably captured Emily's attention because she has great affection for her own boots- first her white winter boots with the fuzzy fir trim-- and now recently her blue rain boots or 'spring boots', as she calls them.  These hand-me-downs look highly uncomfortable, made with rigid rubber that cuts way too high into her short little legs.  She insists on no socks (!), and often wins this battle.  However, when she comes in the house, she carefully sits on the bottom step of our basement stairs.  She takes off each boot... and she lines them up on the mat.  She makes sure they are straight and side-by-side.  She sometimes makes space for Lucas' boots and mine too.   She does this just as Mike would have done-- and seems satisfied in her attention to detail and for doing a careful job, just like Mike.  It is quite amazing to watch and see his image reflected in her little ritual.   I see these little sparkles of Mike in Lucas and Emily every day.