Persistent George ..

Meet George ...

Early friday morning when everyone arrived in the barn, he quietly went to the box of story books and looked at them for quite a while as goodbyes to mums and hellos to the farm were said.

He came to me with a book under his arm and quietly asked to have the story read.  At the same time, Magnus and Jock weren't so sure about saying goodbye to mum and Jock had a moment of some distress.

Jock

Magnus

The children together are always mind bogglingly patient with each other when some one is upset and in need ... ...all they need to know to find patience, is just what is happening.

I told them and  asked if we could go down the back paddock as I felt it would help Jock feel ok, heading down there is a bit like leaving the madding world behind.  So off we went.  All the while, me away of George with his book under his arm.

Once we'd walked through the garden and gone out into the open space that is the back paddock, Jock wrapped round me like a little bear, snuggled in and feeling fine, George asked again for his story.

I suggested we go sit in the stables.  I knew they'd been set up for the impending lamb births, fresh hay and bales in each pen to create the most gorgeously inviting nests for the mamma sheep.

We all went inside and snuggled in, the children loving the whole feel of where we'd gone.

I sat down and both Magnus and Jock landed in my lap with Daisy smooching alongside and George stopped at the door.

I asked him, 'George do you want to come in so we can all look at this story you found?'

George replied, 'No.'

I asked why, he said, 'There's horses in there,' peering round the corner.

I reassured him there was only us and he insisted very quietly that we go to back to the other stables, (the front barn) and read.

The next 15 minutes were spent in conversation with George, everyone asking him to come in and stay and see what it's like.  Each of the children asking him to bring his story and telling him how much they would love to hear it. 

Daisy bounced up at one point and said, 'I get him..' .. and off she went to see if he'd come with her.

Finally I said, 'I'm just going to have to get up and go to see what's up for George.' 

As I stood up, George walked away and by the time I got to the stable door some 5 paces away, he'd toddled off to the back paddock gate.

All the children followed me and had heaps to say, 'Georgie's gone to the gate.'  'Come back George.' 

We all walked over to him and I heard him muttering about the story and as we got there he walked through the gate and up the path some. Far enough away so we couldn't hear what he was saying, him telling us anyway and us having to go to him.

Suddenly I realised that he was quietly and very determinedly answering all of our cajoling and questioning with his feet. 

He was literally leading us back to the start of the day so he could have his story. 

No tantrum, no tears, no fuss, just a quiet stand for what he wanted making sure we were all following him.

Quietly, very persistent.

Finally we got to the barn, George looked at me and said, 'Sit here' and we all surrendered into hearing the story with George.