How do you spell beautiful?

Yesterday during my parent/teacher interview at my sons school, I noticed in his book that he had spelt the word "beautiful" wrong. I bit my lip to stop the strange sudden tears.

I've always been a good speller, but struggled with this word too. I can't believe that back in 1981 I was in Year 4 spelling 'beautiful' wrong and then I blinked. Now it's 2011 and my son is in Year 4 spelling 'beautiful' wrong. (If Taylor Mali was his teacher, he'd be right on that.)

I took Max out for High Tea to celebrate.

                We call it High Tea because after we eat it .... we're high.

I asked him, if he could go anywhere in the world right now, where would it be? He chose Fiji. We talked about how he "accidentally" left his maths textbook in his tote tray at school for the entire term, and how we will be doing ten minutes every day on it together, until he catches up. He pulled a face but I said it's cool, I'd help him .. that I don't want him going through school getting left behind and feeling dumb and stupid, because that's exactly how I felt. He told me I wasn't dumb and stupid. And then he asked for some more High Tea.

I demolished my marshmallow chocolate skewer in record time. Max looked over at my empty plate and said MUM! WHY DO YOU EAT SO QUICKLY? I told him that I can't help it .... that I really looooved it so much, see?

We both felt like more and debated it together .. I had a pot of chilli in the slowcooker and didn't want us to ruin our appetites. We compromised with take-away hot chocolates before we went in to the bookshop.

I can't remember the last time I'd had time just with him. I'm obscenely distracted and busy, most days. Last night I lay in bed, thinking about how important it is to mosey, daydream, and dawdle.

I thought about how, when I went back to our table because I forgot my phone, I glanced at Max's empty plate.

                   
 .... and my heart soared like this soaring thing.