First Love...

My child... he has the memory of an elephant, I swear. Travis just said to me,

"Mary Ewisebef is coming over soon!"

I thought for a second. Mary Elizabeth is my mom's name. But, he doesn't know that.

Then it dawned on me. There was a little girl who lived downstairs from us. Her name was Mary Elizabeth, and she was about 4. Travis would go out on the balcony and they'd talk. Well, he'd babble when he was very young, and then they actually talked a bit later. She'd regale him with stories about school, and whatnot.

And one day, she drew him a picture. It's on our refrigerator. That day, a she wanted to share her peanut butter crackers with him. I told her he was too young for peanut butter, so we gave her some of our cookies instead. Travis STILL talks about that day. That was over 1 1/2 years ago.

And, she moved away more than a year ago... and he still thinks about her. Like today.

"Where'd Mary Ewisabef go?"

"Oh, honey... she had to move... she doesn't live here anymore."

I had to explain that she wasn't coming over today, or any other day because she and her family bought a house and moved away. His little face fell, and he just looked so sad. I just wanted to scoop him up and cover him with kisses.

Poor little man... it won't be the last time a cute little girl breaks his heart.