« Waiting, Cracker Barrel style in South Carolina | Main | gustav »
December 03, 2008
In mere days...
My Gus will be five.
FIVE. That's an anniversary in some parts. I keep having flashbacks to being pregnant, to Gus' birth, and then it feels like whirlwind blur of events and experiences and life and now I'm in Georgia and he's five. And really at this interesting point of feeling independent but relishing the comfort of Mama and Papa.
And when will that stop? When will be be just Mom and Dad? He already refers to us as his Mom and Dad. He already lets go of my hand when we're in sight of the school yard. But with this independence also comes trepidation. He is concerned about what other people think. He jumps five steps ahead and predicts what people will say, what people will think, what people will do. It is so ME, to the point where I try to bolster where I can. I want him to see the disconnect between what he thinks people think and what they actually think... that EVERY SINGLE PARENT that I tell "I'm Gus' Mom" to always says, "Oh,
We have a running joke between us. He comes home looking taller, older... just *more*... and I always say, "Did you grow today? You're not supposed to grow anymore!" He now replies, "Even when I'm older, I'll still be your baby." And he means it... for now, of course, but the sweetness with which he says it makes me believe it is true.
And Eli. I am not in the game of comparing children, for they are entirely their own beings. And Eli is really his own person. He gets great energy from people, so much so that he can't fall asleep until 10 at night. He is fiercely independent, so much so that he finds it hysterical to run away from you in crowded museums and malls, without looking back. But once we have him back in the safety of his 'new home', he mimics and idolizes Gus, while still keeping his own opinions. He is convinced there are monsters in his room, and when I say, "Tell that monster to go away, this is YOUR room," he says with a sudden burst of confidence, "I will hit that monster away from my room!" He's generally positive he will not get hurt with anything he does, for every time I tell him to be careful, he says, "I will NOT
Gus and Eli continue to grow and thrive in this new environment...and every day I see them growing. And when I ask them to stop growing? I'm actually serious. I love every minute of it, but also don't want it to end.
Posted by janna at December 3, 2008 01:03 AM
Comments
I know exactly what you mean. I was having a "mom of older kids" moment the other day and it made me sad.
Posted by: Missy at December 3, 2008 09:57 AM
It really doesn't end. I still feel that way every time my kids go back to college. It happens in the blink of an eye, so I am so glad that you enjoy each and every day with them. They are precious.
Posted by: aunt deb at December 3, 2008 10:51 AM