My New Playground Friend

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Parks and playgrounds are incredible places to meet new friends. A lot of those meetings are fleeting moments of sunshine into my days, and all the way through the weeks. Last Friday, with the daily usual walks with my two younguns--10 and 13, and our collie was the most memorable. James, 3 and Lindon, 4 ( not their real names) made their acquaintances with me. I know it was my two children that they wanted to "be best friends with", which my 10 year-old overheard them talking at the slides that they liked my 13 year-old daughter (who looks younger for her age, often mistaken to be 9 or 10.) She doesn't like the mistake people make about her looks and age. Lyndon, 4, approached me at the bench with our collie sitting at my foot, asked my name. He said, "That's an interesting name." Our conversation went to subjects I found delightful about them. Pure child-likeness. Their mothers called them a while. When they came back, Lyndon said to me,"My mom's eating chocolate." "Oh, yeah? Did you have some?" "Nah, only my mom can." "Oh? Why not you?" "Mom said that chocolates are only for scabs." "Huh? Scabs?" "Yeah. Chocolates are only when I get a scab and I don't cry about it." "I suppose, scabs hurt and make you cry, don't they?" "Yes." "Did your mom have a scab and did not cry that's why she's eating chocolate?" Lyndon's eyebrows furrowed and paused for an answer, and then, laughed. "Ye... no...um...she's just eating chocolate without a scab." I think I'm in trouble with this handsome, intelligent boy's mom.