On the drive from Falls Church, where I watch my friend's kids for a few hours ie Andrew plays in a fenced yard featuring a trampoline, playhouse, a trunk full of new toys, and three great playmates, Andrew's little voice asserted from the darkness of the backseat:
"Mommy, I want to grow up."
"You want to grow up?" I was trying to listen to news coverage of Super Tuesday.
"I want to be bigger. I am not tall enough."
I couldn't pass up the opportunity to put in a plug for eating right (or eating in general). But it got me thinking about what must be going on in that little head. Andrew hero-worships his 6 year old cousin, Emma, even though sometimes she wishes he didn't and makes that feeling fairly obvious. He also followed Taylor, 7, around all evening and would randomly throw his arms around him, a huge smile beaming up at the worshipful big boy. So he has noticed that he is not as fast, cannot jump as high, is not as physically independent or competent as these Big Kids. They are what he wants to be.
Typically, for me, it made me a little bit sad. I could only think, if only you knew how much you have changed already. I saw it today when I watched you actually getting air on the tramp, and laughing with the kids when you all tumbled around or were bounced to your knees. Back in August, you didn't want anyone else to get on with you. Somewhere along the way, you learned how to actually catch air as you jumped. And the playhouse. This summer, I was terrified to even let you climb that very high ladder. When Will came along, you could climb just fine, but still wanted my hand for the high and fast slide. Today, you navigated it all, without even looking to see if I were watching. Which I was. You are changing every day, evolving into the person you will be.
You will grow up so quickly and so soon, and before either of us know it, you will be a man like your dad. But you will always be our little baby.
5 comments:
It was very bitter-sweet to remember how very fast they do grow up. Brigham "fat"? I don't think so.
So at first I thought the first two pictures were of Will, but then I realized he had way too much hair, and there was no recent context that would make that possible (at least for the first one). It's fun to see old pictures of him!
It really is amazing how fast they grow up. I feel torn every day between wanting to communicate with Benjamin using more than gestures, grunts and nods, and keeping him little and cuddly. It's weird, but I'm also sad about how skinny he's getting.
Brigham wrote the "fat" thing in there to be funny. He did it when he was attaching the photos to the post for me, since i am still pretty inept at it. Brigham is not fat. Remember when you thought he was anorexic? :)
"I want to grow up"? Where does he get these ideas? So far, James' most complex expression has been "I love you, Mommy." When James says "I want" it's usually followed by "food" or "to watch a movie." Andrew is a big boy, indeed!
Those pictures of Andrew are cute! I'm glad you liked Justin's hat fashion show. He just turned 3 months and he weighs 14 pounds. How big is William? I was so amazed that you said he rolled over when he was 2 months old. Justin hasn't figured that out yet.
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