Conversation with the Backseat

Last night leaving the movie theater, Landon asked if he could ride home with us. I told him that he needed to ask his dad, whose hand he was holding at the time. Arrangements were made, a car seat was moved, and Dave and I set out with Landon and Hayden in the backseat. Dave’s truck was at the restaurant where we’d eaten dinner. We were planning to leave it there, then return for it after we dropped the boys off. Jimmy remembered the truck, so we wound up letting Dave get in the truck.

So it’s me and the boys. I drive adults around all the time, but Jimmy and Devin have entrusted two of their children to my care—I was probably overly cautious. And, I worried a bit about Landon being nervous about losing site of his parents. Landon expressed no concern about not seeing his parents’ Suburban at all times. Hayden inquired as to where his dad was once, but I assured him that Jimmy was just ahead. Hayden then wanted to know if I knew the way to their house in case we got separated from Jimmy. I assured him that I did. (I guess he wasn't thinking about all the times I had been over to his house.)

I often chuckle at the conversations Devin overhears from the backseat. Last night I was smiling at the conversation I was having with the backseat.

Hayden decided that since I was following Jimmy and since Dave was following me, it was sort of like a parade. I was then informed that Hayden was wearing Landon’s hat, but that Devin had made it bigger for Hayden. Hayden told me about his tae kwon do classes. I asked about his spring soccer season, so he told me that his team made it to the championship and got necklaces with medals. Then, he shared with me how his friend Calista (I think that was her name) told him that he was letting the team down when he didn’t want to keep playing soccer.

Landon interjected about this time, calling my name, “Daranda”. I asked him to wait a minute while Hayden finished his story. Landon waited patiently while Hayden told me more about tae kwon do for another couple of minutes without taking a breath. (I swear Reagan must be giving him lessons.)

As soon as I could, I quickly asked Landon what it was that he wanted to tell me. I was informed that when he got home he was going to take his shoes and socks off and have an ice cream sandwich. Hayden asked me if I’d like an ice cream sandwich and told me about how they had eaten all the ones with chocolate chips, but they had bought some more “regular” ones. I inquired as to favorite ice cream flavors. Hayden says he likes vanilla and cookies and cream. When I said cookies and cream was my favorite, Landon said he liked it, too.

We saw an airport shuttle bus, which Landon called a school bus. I agreed that some school and church buses do look like that. Hayden corrected Landon telling him it was an airport bus. Then they reminisced about how much fun it was to ride an airport bus in Colorado.

As we turned off of the highway onto the busy four-lane road, Hayden asked me if the windows were locked. I responded that they weren’t and added, “Should I lock them?” On the inside I was also thinking, “Oh no, the doors aren’t locked either.” Hayden said I didn’t have to lock them. But I did tease them and tell them I was locking the doors. (Whew, I don’t have to worry about a kid opening the door going down the highway, now that we’re more than half-way home.) Hayden informed me that they could roll their windows down when we turned into their neighborhood. He went on to tell me that it isn’t safe to have your windows rolled down on the highway, relating a terrible story about a man who had a bolt pierce his neck when he was driving down the road with his window down. We talked about how the man was like Frankenstein, except it was sad because Frankenstein was make-believe and this man was hurt by the bolt. Landon asked what a bolt was, and Hayden explained that it’s kind of like a nail and a screwdriver. I didn’t figure this was the time to go into the distinction between a screw and a screwdriver.

Then Hayden asked if my car had a radio. I responded that I did have a radio and asked if they wanted to listen to it. Ever the gentleman, Hayden responded, “That would be nice, if you want to.” I turned on the radio asking them what kind of music they like. Hayden said that Sutton listens to country, but they like Kids Bop (or something like that—I’m not hip to the six year-old and under music scene). We decided on country since that’s what station I had it on. Of course the song that was on was “Some Beach”—which the singer uses for a phrase that sounds like “some beach” but is inappropriate for three and six year-olds. Thankfully, the song was in the lyrics, not the suggestive chorus, so I switched it to another country station quickly.

We turned into the neighborhood, Hayden put his window down, and Landon asked me to put his down. We puttered along slowly lest any random bolts come flying our way; since my back windows don’t go down all the way, I figured the boys would be safe. Hayden asked why the windows wouldn’t go down all the way. I smiled and said, “So dogs and kids can’t jump out.” He sagaciously added that “It would hurt to jump from a moving vehicle.” Dave says Hayden’s much smarter than Mason (our dog who has fallen out of the truck twice) since he has that figured out.

We made it home with no incident. Dave was little bummed that he missed the ride; he knew it would be a hoot, and indeed, it was.