Minnie Pearl, age 3

©pat coakley 2008

I am babysitting today for Minnie Pearl, (not her real name, silly) age 3.  If the world goes to hell while I’m gone, I’m glad this is the last face I shall see.

She hugs my knees and looks up smiling and screeching (she is a loud one, I’ll admit) , “Paaaaaappppy, c’an wi color?”

Oh, yeah, we’re gonna color, Minnie girl, and go for a ride in your Hummer red wagon, (I am not kidding, we’ve come a long way from the little red wagon of my youth) and eat chips.

Oh, yes, we’ll pick up your sister from Kindergarten and go the library, too.  Then, we’ll play animals on the grounds of the lovely Endicott estate right near the library.  This game entails me sitting down (yea!) and I give orders of what animal I’d like brought to me immediately.

One bobcat, please.  Right now!

And, off they run to find the bobcat, which of course they do, and they bring it back on an imaginary leash and leave it to pant and slobber all over my legs.

They stand in front of me, eagerly awaiting their next mission.

Two giraffes, please.  Very tall.

Starbucks sorta thing, really, except you don’t wait as long for your order.

©Pat Coakley 2008

PHOTOGRAPHS CANNOT BE USED WITHOUT WRITTEN PERMISSION

7 Replies to “Minnie Pearl, age 3”

  1. I wish I had had you in my life growing up, I think it would’ve been pure heaven on earth!

    Post man says to me “wait for Saturday we’ll be open then for sure” so till saturday I wait while the potholes grow larger and my nails shorter!

  2. Pat- is this patootie one of the gang of five?
    What couldn’t that little face and the questions that spill out of it, make better?

    They are worry erasers. Most especially when they’re not immediately yours. Yours to borrow and influence with love, games, and security.

    She’s darling.

  3. OOOOOH I love her! so seriously cute with attitude (in a good way) and sassiness. I love your words, as ever. Still looking at the elephant. I showed it to my close colleagues and explained the support factor. They were chuffed, as I was. Go elephant! I’m getting there. Watch out!

  4. Thanks, Marian! I shall be by to visit your paintings tonight! Thanks for dropping in.
    SF, if I had been in your life growing up and playing this same game in the country that you live, South Africa, you’d be bringing me the actual animals not imaginary ones!!
    BL: Now, how much do I love that phrase, “worry erasers”? How much? Bigger than a breadbox is all I can measure for you right now.
    Epicrurienne, once again I had to look up this British phrasing, “chuffed”…it’s “delighted” right? When I first read it, I thought it sounded dangerously close to chafed so I had to check. Anyway, happy to send the elephant out on good will missions!

Comments are closed.