The Mysterious Footprints

I hope you enjoy this snapshot of a regular Eason Clan morning, with a bit of narrative on my part.

“Dad, dad! Look out the window! There are footprints in the snow.” Benaiah said excitedly.

I glanced up from my devotional book to see Benaiah’s face pressed against our significantly stained living room window. Yes my poor window, smudged beyond imagine due to four faces frequently plastering their lips, tongues and noses against the glass from multiple angles. “If I sprayed it with glass cleaner and wiped away the grime, give it one day and the smudges would respawn.”

Nice rhyme eh?

I made my way over to the window to see what had Benaiah all excited. Railene raced from the kitchen table to get a look as well.

“It must be a cat, look how close they are?” said Benaiah, as he pointed to the trail of footprints. A long line of prints could be see going from one section of my driveway to the other. They then veered underneath my van, then over to my parents house. Clearly a cat from the neighbour, however Railene didn’t see it that way.

“No no no, it’s a Jumpy Jack.” Railene countered.

“What’s a Jumpy Jack, Railene?” Benaiah asked with a smug on his face.

Railene then proceeded to stick out her backside in her little nightie, raised both arms to shoulder height and began to jump like a baby bird first trying to fly. She explained to us in detail what parts “Jumpy Jack” had.

“See it has a tail,” as she stuck out her bum, “arms,” raising her two thin arms into the air, “and legs, and it hops like this.” With that she began jumping.

*Jump * *Jump* *Jump*

All I could picture was a bird-like creature with the personality of Tigger, leaping off the ground trying to navigate through the snow in my driveway.

I love my children’s imagination.

So remember, when you look out your window today and possibly see a set of small foot prints, “Jumpy Jack” may have hopped on by. At least that’s what Railene would say.

Christian