Just in Time for Valentine's Day

I think this is it, folks. My little boy has spent two days now talking about his new friend. I could be wrong, but it seems to me that Ridge has fallen in love with an adorable little girl named Aiko.

Yesterday, I came home, and as usual, Ridge was plopped in front of the heater having just woken from his nap. He asked me, “Mommy, can I tell you a little something that’s kinda long?”

Sure, go for it..

He then began narrating his morning at the pre-school. Ridge told me all about who Aiko was and how they didn’t play much before today.

“I think Aiko saw how strong I am and how big my muscles show through my shirt,” he declared, pulling up the sleeve of his shirt to make a small ‘muscle mountain’. “Because I’m really big and I can really keep her safe. She’s sooo small!” He then said she had run up to him saying, “Taskete, taskete, Ridgee! (Help me, help me! They pronounce the‘d’ in his name, and make the ‘e’ long.) I guess Ruuya and some others were harassing her, so she ran and hid behind Ridge.

“So I went up to Ruuya and I said, ‘hitting Aiko – dame! (stop it)’,” Ridge continued. He made an ‘x’ with his arms, which is what Japanese people do when they say something like, ‘stop it’.

Ridge then told me in great detail how he explained to Ruuya that Ridge would have to fight him if Ruuya kept hitting Aiko. The rest of the evening he talked about playing with her, keeping her safe, and how she needs his help. This morning he said, “I hope Aiko remembers we were playing together yesterday.”

At nap time today, I caught him looking at something under the covers. I angrily snatched it away, frustrated that he was continuing to distract himself away from nap. He nearly fell apart. Crying, he insisted I give it back immediately. “It’s just so special to me!!! It’s from Aiko!!” he bawled. Of course, I gave it back right away and apologized. He refolded it and returned it to his pocket. Later, I convinced him to let me see it. The note was written on a plain postcard, with drawings in orange crayon. An adult had written in English, in small letters on the bottom, “I want to play with u”. It was the most precious thing I’ve seen in ages. Ridge said, “Just looking at this makes a tear come to my eye. Not because I’m sad or anything, but just because it’s so special to me.”

Now, that just brings a tear to my eye!