The History, Confessions, and Songs of the Busy Bee

In the dark he recites everything he knows. “THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. How now brown cow? ELEVENTEEN!”

Eleventeen. The number all children seem to know about, the number that goes with training-wheels and string cheese.

I sit by him and he sings to me.

The song is about minnows, an octopus, and a whale, but mostly just an octopus. A salmon made a surprise guest appearance (he wasn’t on the Playbill).

“The octopus ate the salmon, and the salmon didn’t taste so gooood and the octopus is fat and not healthy and squirts ink and…”

I interrupt the Octopi Opus five minutes into it to ask about new friends. “I only played with the girls, because I noticed them and I thought they were cute.”

Help me. He’s three.

We sit on the bed and talk, his fingers touching my hair, secrets spilling. Secrets about big computer toys and dinosaurs in the sand. He tells me about tag on the playground and how he was the fastest one. “It’s the shoes,” he nods.

I swallow each word with a gulp until I’m so full of laughter I might actually laugh out loud and spoil the whole thing.  It’s then that I kiss him and he kisses me, and I tell him the day sounded busy.

“Yep. I’m a busy BEEEEEE!” he cries and flings himself onto the pillow, feet in the air.

I smile and realize that sometimes bees are more than just busy.  Sometimes they’re funny bees and sweet bees, bees that sing hour long songs about sea creatures, preschool bees. They carry secrets and jokes, not just honey. They are sticky faced, wonderful, gold.

Then they fly away.

23 thoughts on “The History, Confessions, and Songs of the Busy Bee”

  10. O.K. – YOU are the place I am going to come when I miss my 25 year old being 3, and my 19 year old being 3 and my 16 year old being 3 and my 13 year old being 3 and my almost 11 year old being 3! I miss 11teen moments – you have so blessed me today! I sorely needed this! Sigh! I miss it!!! I think U-6 speaks the most amazing language EVER!!!

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  13. The really best bees? They give you goosebumps right alongside the gulps of laughter.

    At least someone gave me goosebumps.

    And I think it was the bee.

    (it's probably the shoes.)

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  16. Three going on twenty-three it seems! “I noticed them.” and “It's the shoes.” Cracks me up. There should be a way to capture their cuteness forever – blogs help, photos help, but making time slow down a little bit might be better. 🙂

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  22. Hello my darling friend. I've been away for far too long and I'm trying like everything to catch up with everyone. I hope you're faring well as a mama of three.

    Then they fly away. They do and it's just the most heartbreaking, but glorious thing.

    That is one fine looking fella, there. Better watch him with those girls.

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  23. ooo howwonderfultosee the wonderful whileitsthere! oh poo sosorry about the spacing…Busby pulled halfthe letters off my laptop and i have no spacebar sp havetojust whack the empty space and sometimesit works!!! agggggghhhhhh also have no working m button and about 6 other keys missing as well…my little bee is abusy computer killingbee! xx

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