Read Online Her Unexpected Family by Ruth Logan Herne - Free Book Online Page B

dumping bins of toys onto the floor, while Timmy was strategically placing large, locking plastic blocks on top of one another in a row of towers. “Here’s your perfect example of the differences between these two, playing out right in front of you,” Emily said softly.
    He followed her gaze. “Two kids playing. Nothing too earth-shattering there, right?”
    â€œTimmy is on the floor, focused and intent, creating structures, then placing them where he wants them. If he doesn’t like the effect, he moves the little building and re-creates the scene.”
    â€œYou’re making block towers seem pretty sophisticated, Emily.” He grinned and reached for her jacket, then hung it up. “And while every father wants their kid to be a rocket scientist or cure cancer, I think we’ve got a ways to go.”
    â€œTimmy’s play is sophisticated for a young two-year-old. It shows memory, thought and process, then rearranging as needed, which means reasoning. Dolly’s dumping is more along the lines of your typical one-year-old, seeing bright things, dumping bright things, then overwhelmed by the melee and unable to put the bright things away.”
    â€œShe hates picking up and she loves destroying anything Tim makes. Which is what she’s about to do right now.” He crossed the room quickly, scooped Dolly up, told her no and set her back down.
    She dropped to her knees instantly, turned and aimed for Tim’s plastic block city.
    Once again Grant intervened as Emily withdrew a set of finger cymbals from her bag. She stepped into the room, sat down on the floor and chinged the tiny instruments together.
    Dolly turned, drawn to the sound. “Ba?”
    â€œMusic.” Emily tapped the tiny cymbals together rapidly, happy, dancing notes floating through the air. “Music.”
    â€œBa!” Dolly race-crawled her way as fast as she could go. “So ba!”
    â€œYou like music, Dolly-girl?” Emily raised her hand up, operating the metallic circles just out of Dolly’s reach.
    Dolly grabbed Emily’s arm, intent on the noise. She pulled herself up to her knees, mesmerized by Emily’s action. “Ba! Ba! Ba!”
    â€œMusic,” Emily repeated and eased herself up onto the couch. “Ding! Ding! Ding! Music.”
    â€œTing! Ting!” Dolly screeched the word, excited, then pulled herself up to a standing position, trying to get closer to the noise again. “Ting!”
    Emily reached her free hand into her bag and brought out a little bell for Grant. “Ring this and move over there,” she told him as she kept the flashy little cymbals playing. “Just far enough away so she might think about walking.”
    She didn’t look at him to see if he was uncertain because even if he was, she wasn’t. The thought of Dolly not achieving all God created her for was too sad to contemplate, so she wouldn’t think about it. Grant wouldn’t have requested her advice if he didn’t recognize the problem, so that was a big first step.
    She stopped making music when Grant was in position and pointed to him. He rang the bell, a lilting, joyful sound. Dolly turned, surprised to hear music from behind. “Ba! Ting!”
    â€œMusic,” Grant told her, following Emily’s lead. “Ding-dong, ding-dong, ding-dong!”
    â€œTing!” Dolly laughed and reached. “Ting!”
    â€œGood talking,” said Emily. “Go get the bell, Dolly. Go get it from Daddy.”
    â€œTing.” Dolly looked at her, then Grant and her forehead furrowed. “Ting! Ting! Ba!”
    â€œYou can have the bell if you go get it,” Emily told her. Dolly was clinging to the couch with one hand, fully standing on her own. “Go get it, sweet thing.”
    â€œBa!” Dolly’s face darkened as she realized what they wanted. Emily had to hand it to the kid, for a two-year-old with developmental