The Extroverted Feeler is four. I am stuck on three months of bed rest due to preterm labor. I am on terbutaline, related to adrenaline. I have a continuous infusion. It gives me a resting heart rate of 100 and my hands shake. I do not like bed rest.
The neighbor is doing quite a bit of baby sitting. If the EF is alone with me for too long he starts bouncing off the walls like ricochet rabbit. And bouncing on the bed.
The neighbor has two teenagers so the EF adores their house. Also a big dog and lots of other teens in and out. He is happy as a clam.
"We're going camping. Tent camping. Can we take EF?" says the neighbor.
"Yes." says my husband.
"He's FOUR." I say.
We discuss. He has slept in tents with us. We have traveled quite a bit. He has stayed the night at the neighbors.
"She's a NURSE." says my husband.
"Oh, all right." I say.
EF is very excited. He packs for his trip. He has a sleeping bag. They are providing the tent. They will be gone TWO NIGHTS. He takes his bear. They leave.
I do not sleep terribly well. I haven't been anyhow because contractions wake me. Turning over wakes me. Money worries wake me. The stupid terbutaline wakes me.
They return.
"I caught my FIRST FISH." says the EF proudly. "I caught THREE. I took them off the hook MYSELF."
"Oh, that's wonderful!" I say to him. "How did he do at night?" I say to the neighbor Nurse.
"Well, the first night it got dark." Her eyes are twinkling. "EF asked what time it was. We said 8:00. He says, "Ok. It's my bedtime." He goes and gets in his sleeping bag with the bear and goes to sleep. That was it."
I just look at her.
She grins. "Second night too. That was better than I expected. He was pretty happy about the fish."
And that is how the Extroverted Feeler caught his first fish.