The Bean and his Daddy came to visit

We got a phone call early yesterday. It was our son, down in Elk Grove, and he wanted to know if he and the Bean could come up for the day and visit. Mommy and Baby Bean were going to do some intensive potty training and wanted a little less activity around the house. Of course, I said "Come on up."
When they arrived, after the hugs and kisses, the Bean said he wanted to go down to the "veg'able garden" and pick the "ta-matos". "Oh Bean", I said, "The tomatoes are just little plants right now. They don't have tomatoes on them yet." He thought about this and said..." Well, Noni, we can go see. Do they need water?"
Then I remembered the little gourd seedlings that I hadn't finished planting and asked him if he wanted to help me plant them. "OK." he said. ( He's a man of few words, like his father. I love this.)
We got the little gourd seedlings and a couple of "diggers", the hose and MY CAMERA.
"Smile Bean". and he did. I took a few pictures and then (top right)..., the LOOK; as if to say..., Enough with the camera, Noni. I'm waiting to dig and plant stuff.
So I handed the camera to my son and the Bean and I planted the little seedlings.

..., and then came the best part: WATER. If there was one thing in this world that little boys agree on, it would be that water and dirt are the most wonderful combination in the whole world. My grandson is a MUD connoisseur, a prodigy of the art of blending and mixing. Give him a spot of dirt and some water and this boy is in his element.
"Did you water each little plant, Bean?"..., "Yes." he says. "I need to wash my fingers first. " I watch him play, with total attention to the task... " Be sure each plant gets soaked really good."... "OK." he says. Then the hand goes into the mud and more water is added. He never looks up. He is one with the mud. My DNA, my mothers DNA and my grandmother too have found a host in this grandchild of mine. We will work on the finer points.

I want you to look at the position that he's in. It's 90 degrees, no shade anywhere nearby, I'm sweating like a racehorse and sitting down on the edge of the raised vegetable bed looking at this little boy..., squatting ON his feet, rear end NOT touching the ground, knees up to his chin.., watering and playing for at least 15 minutes. Try that position, folks... Bet ya can't do it.
What happens to our agility? When did the squatting stop? Reality hit hard: No more camping without a porta potty. Squatting in the woods is gone forever. I might fall backwards and never get up. The mental picture was ugly. Where was I going with this......
It was just a moment of stark reality. a vision of how far I am from the agility of my childhood. It just came and went in a split second. I'm OK now. I'm older than yesterday, but I'm OK... Crap!

Tomorrow: The Bean in Bounce World.