Those with a toddler may understand what “laler” is…If not, here it is ->water.  {See, that wasn’t so difficult to figure out!}

I guess it was about six months ago I learned of a cut-through to avoid some pretty hectic “rush hour” traffic.   And along that cut-through is a little pond.  Right up against the road.  As in, if it rains hard enough, the road may actually flood…it’s that close.

In my discovery, Reynolds started learning his way home.  When we get to a certain area of our drive, he knows where we are and where we’re supposed to turn, and starts saying “Laler, please, momma?”  I pretty much HAVE to go this way now, there’s no other route acceptable to him.

So we’ll drive by slowly {secretly apologizing(?) to those sucking my exhaust, nearly kissing my bumper….who are using the cut-through as an actual cut-through, thus avoiding the speed limit signs and serenity around them…}…

Wouldn’t you know it….the day I took this picture there were no ducks out.  Normally there are about a hundred ducks just hanging out in the water.  To which Reynolds says, “duck buck” for duck butt, because often, all you see are their little hineys up in the air! 🙂

There are actually two ponds {well, one pond and one lake} on our new ride home.  After we go by the first I usually hear: “More laler, please, momma?”  Which may or may not be followed by a minor breakdown….

Then we pull into our neighborhood, which is just down the road from the first pond.

We pull onto the street and I hear: “Laler!”  He knows it’s coming.  We slowly go down the hill, past the tennis courts and I say, “Are you ready?  Are you sure you’re ready?  Here comes the laler!”

We drive by slowly.  It’s so pretty.  So serene.  How many times would I have driven past these bodies of water and never stopped long enough to notice them.  To laugh at the duck “bucks” and gaze out across the stillness?

I honestly don’t know that I ever would have slowed down enough had it not been for the inquisitive toddler in the back seat…

The silence is broken by that sweet voice: “bye, bye, laler.  bye, bye, duck bucks.”