The Duck Duck Goose Story

Paul has had an ongoing relationship with the 8th grade drummers at our church for the last year and a half. It began when he was a carefree 18-month-old and danced in the aisles at the Friday school Masses when the kids played. The choir started noticing him, and then they started visiting and talking to him. They learned his name, we learned theirs, and this year the two boys who play the drums stopped to say hello to him every Friday. Paul always played shy with them and rarely said a word, then talked incessantly about them after they left. One day he suddenly decided he would ask them to play his new favorite game, Duck Duck Goose. And he did! Their first response was a sheepish face and: “We’ve been drafted to play Duck Duck Goose!” They were so kind, though, and told him they’d think of something. <br><br>They ended up talking their religion teacher into letting them play during school, so the Friday after Paul’s birthday (a totally fun coincidence), Paul played Duck Duck Goose and a bonus game, Red Light Green Light (the 8th graders’ idea) with all 24 8th grade students at Blessed Sacrament School. It was the sweetest doggone thing you’ve ever seen! We brought cupcakes that Paul helped to frost and he gave each student a blessing with holy water on their way out. The drummer friends were so sweet with him, and even held his hand when he was the “goose” because he started out a little shy. I took some video, which Paul fondly refers to as “the Duck Duck Goose Show” and watched it about 5 times in the first week. I even caught him quoting from it as if it were a book we had read. As an epilogue to the story, the boys even invited Paul to “help” them run games for the younger children at field day, and Paul played tug-o-war and relays with the kindergarten class and his favorite 8th graders. What 3-year-old can say they’ve had a play date with an entire 8th grade class? My son is unique and awfully special…