In previous posts, you've learned what a blessing, what a wonder; what a sheer delight life has been since the arrival of Cole -- the gift who came into our lives accidentally-on-purpose long after the birth of two daughters and waaaaaay after my husband and I assumed that my child-bearing years were behind me.

Well, now Cole walks and talks at will. The optimal words would be "at will," meaning when he gets ready. He is cute and all, but he is also maddening at times. And although he is still more than 16 years from a voter's registration card, through a mix of fervent babble, willful gesticulating, and adamant positioning he is becoming quite the persuasive politician.

So you can imagine that exiting a playground is sometimes no small feat. We recently had one of those times. I had managed to pry Cole's tiny fingers from the climbing apparatus and was about to strap him into his stroller when the sky suddenly grew dark. In seconds, we were drenched. We don't live far from the playground so I was prepared to make a beeline to the house. Then Cole jumped out of the stroller. He was running in circles around the park, screaming "Cash wa-er, mommy…Cash it! Catch wa-er for grow Gammasoo gart-in!"

It took me a minute, but then my bi-lingual skills kicked in: Cash wa-er? For feed gart-in? Cole had apparently picked up on more than I'd guessed on his last trip to my in-laws. Grandma Sue has a thriving garden in her backyard and uses -- you guessed it -- a rain catcher to feed strawberries, zucchini, melons, and more. It's a wondrous sight to behold.

Not the fruits and vegetables. I'm talking about the picture of my mother-in-law -- also known as the Queen of Things -- kneeling in the soil teaching my kids conservation. You have to know Sue like I know her to appreciate the irony. (Let's just say she never met an infomercial she didn't like.)

Dripping wet, I called her from my cell, just to make sure I had the story right. "Oh my goodness," Sue squealed, when I repeated the baby 'cash wa-er' plea. "He such a smaaart baby."

Yeah, yeah. I know...Einstein. Tell me about the rain catcher. What made you get it? Are you trying to go green on me or what?"

She went on, with great delight, about monster cucumbers and how well her gardening efforts were paying off. And she's sure her water bill is lower these days. She also bought a compost bin. "Wow, I am really impressed," I told my mother-in-law. "We could learn a lot from you." But I couldn't stop myself. "By the way, how's that closet of yours these days?"

There was a long pause. Then, "Kiss the kids for me...I better go start Grand Daddy's dinner."

I smiled. It's always great when wisdom gets passed from one generation to the next.

photo: ceresur