This story is totally fictional. It is based on today's values of letting kids be kids and letting them grow up at their PACE, rather than the pace that the parents want.
It is based on What IF I had been allowed to continue my babyhood into age 5.
It's 6 am. Baby James opens his eyes in his crib. His legs are almost reaching the other end. Soon he'll have to move to a twin sized mattress, but for now he's ok sleeping here.
He's just wearing an undershirt, a cloth diaper and blue coloured plastic pants. James feels loved and confident. He has a younger baby sister who is about half his age.
It's May 1971 and James will be 5 yrs. old in about 2 months.
The weather has been warmer, Victoria Day weekend is the start of the growing season in this part of Earth. Winter is gone for another 5 months.
James crys out "Mom! I'm awake. I need a clean diaper".
"OK, I'll be there in a minute", says Mom.
She enters the room, lowers the crib side and tells him to slide out of the diaper, and go to the bathtub to get cleaned up.
He does this and after a while, he confidently trots back to the crib where his Mom would put a clean diaper on his son. James has subconscious memories of being a Zebra, but doesn't quite remember.
James' Mom carries him back into the crib, and lays him there.
James feels so good inside because his Mom is allowing him to keep his babyhood and is did not take it away from him like most other parents did. He is soooo happy 'being in the moment' as they say.
"Whatcha gonna do today?" asks his Mom?
"Can we go to 'ssiniboine Park?" queries James.
"We can go on the weekend together", and James' Mom tickles her boy on the tummy.
She wraps the cloth diaper on him, which feels soft, warm, and cuddly. Then she slips the plastic pants over his legs. Next she puts on a clean undershirt on him because the one he had during the nighttime got a bit wet with urine.
"Uh uh uh mmm mmm".
"OK, I'm getting your formula".
She prepares the baby bottle for James, and he lays down across her on the sofa, while they both enjoy watching the tv programme on KCND channel 12 from Pembina, ND.
It's now about 7:30 am.
James' younger sibling, also gets her baby formula, a clean diaper too.
Still more time elapses...
It's now 10 am and The Friendly Giant is broadcast on CBWT (the local CBC station).
James loves hearing the calm, soothing sounds of the recorder that one of the puppets plays (actually played by a Human off camera). He feels so good inside and looks forward to the rest of the day.
It's now 10:30 am and Mr. Dressup appears on CBWT. James likes the show, but thinks that Friendly Giant should have had more air time. His Mom prepares some barley baby cereal for him, his favourite, although he has looked at the supermarket shelf when his Dad has taken him shopping and noticed that barley isn't stocked as much as rice and oatmeal. His next favourite is sobey baby cereal which is made from soybeans, another flavour that is not well stocked.
11 o'clock and now it's time for Sesame Street, with Ernie and Bert, Cookie Monster and the rest of the cast. James likes this programme because he learns the ABCs and 123s.
Somewhere in the middle of Sesame Street James has wet his diaper, and Mom will be checking him to see if he's wet or not.
"I'm ready to put a clean diaper on you, because you're wet".
James gets up off the living room carpeted floor, and goes back to the crib.
The sun is shining very hot today. James' room is getting warmer. He can smell the scent of baby powder, clean cloth diapers in the basket in the room. He has a subconscious connection with Owls, but he does not know where this comes from.
He gets into the crib again, and Mom puts a clean diaper on him. She leaves off the plastic pants and just pins on the diaper on him.
It's about 11:40 am now.
"What do you want for lunch, dear?"
"Oh, I'll have a salami sandwich with some apple juice".
"Ok, I think we still have some salami, if not is a jam sandwich ok instead?"
"Yup".
James hops off the crib and runs to the kitchen. His Mom finds the last slice of salami meat and makes him a sandwich with mustard and margarine. She pours him a cup of apple juice from the fridge.
A couple of hours later, Mom is watching her favourite soap opera, Anothe World. James is also watching too. He thinks that Rachel and Mac shouldn't get divorced and break up their family like that. "People should stay 'gether Mom".
After Another World is finished, James has an afternoon nap on the sofa, and doesn't wake until about 5:30 pm.
James awakes from his nap and pees. His Mom had placed a couple of towels under his diaper so that the sofa doesn't get damaged from the urine.
Time for another diaper before Supper.
His Dad is now home, reading the daily newspapers.
After that James sits on his Dad's lap and they watch the local news on CJAY channel 7.
It's now 7:30 pm and James is feewing sleepy. He can barely keep his eyes open. His Mom carries him back to the crib and raises the side where it makes a clicking sound.
Another day has gone by.
Tomorrow James and his Mom will go on the bus to downtown to do some shopping at Eaton's and The Bay.
Goodnight Baby James...
