Binkytowne: Key to My Heart

I am the drop off mom. I like to slowly get ready in the morning and have that time with the kids before I go to work and they go to school. I'm fortunate that I don't have a job that requires me to punch a clock or start meetings in the early hours of the day. Twice a week I also take over pick up duty as well.

It's always been our thing, since before he could even talk. The teachers would tell me he would know I was there by the click of my heels and the jingling of my keys. My keys do rattle. I keep adding things to my key chain, never removing them, because that's my method for finding them. I can hear them rattling in my big bag or feel them jabbing me in my pockets. I have keys from places I lived three houses ago along with a little bling I've picked up along the way. Among other things I have a fancy shoe brand key chain actually attached to my keychain with charms; a little shoe and a heart.

The other night I was walking up the driveway. I had gone for a run after work and my husband picked up the kids. My little man was walking down the driveway, having just gotten out of the car in the garage and was headed to the house. We met in the middle. Something that is not always easy for us to do.

He usually greets me with something he made that day or a tidbit he's been waiting all day to tell me about Transformers. That afternoon he set down his lunchbox and his backpack and said he had something for me. He reached into the cargo pocket of his shorts and pulled out a small silver heart.

The silver heart had fallen off my keychain. I thought he recognized it and collected it for me. How nice of him, I thought. Then he told me this.

I found this on the group rug and I picked it up when no one was looking.

I kept it in my pocket all day. I kept checking to make sure it didn't get lost.

I wanted you to have it because it reminds me of you.

We went into the house and set it on the windowsill. I told him I wanted it there so I would see it every day because it made me so very happy. I thanked him. I squeezed him.

How many different ways that child has my heart.

Inspired by Chookooloonks and Woulda Coulda Shoulda and Love Thursday.