Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Oh to be Four Again!

My four-year-old, Boone, is so carefree and matter-of-fact, it cracks me up.  He thinks he is much older than he is. Today the Schwan's man stopped over and Boone tried to open the door, however, a shop vac and a step-ladder were blocking it.  My husband had been doing some painting.  Anyway Boone is trying to open the door and he keeps saying, "Oh sorry, so sorry."  I helped Boone with the door and then he ran into the kitchen and comes back with the food catalog.  He opens it up and says, "I'll take one of these," and points to some Popsicles.  The Schwan's man looked at me and I said that was fine.  Then he told me the specials and Boone was like, "Yeah, we'll take one of those too."  I told the Schwan's man we did not need the special.  My son was acting like he was the decision maker in the family and it was so cute.

Boone also spent all morning building a fort out of blankets and the kitchen table.  Then he gets under it and hides and yells, "Come find me."  I love it when kids do that.  He likes to do that in the mornings too after I get up he'll hop under my covers and yell, "Come find me."  I always pretend like I'm tired and I'm going to lay on the bed but the mattress is too lumpy and then he starts to giggle.  That carefree, not a worry in the world giggle.

A lot of adults have lost the carefree child in them because as we age we gain a lot of responsibility, which makes us feel like we can't let loose.  I've often thought about having my children write letters to their future selves and tucking them away for them to read  one day.  I'd like for them to document their hopes and dreams and then when they are much older, I would give them back their letters.  I think that would be really fun, to read at age thirty what you wanted for your life when you were ten.  In fact, I'm sure I wrote a letter like that when I was a sophomore in high school but I didn't give it to my parents to keep for me and over the years I lost it.  I don't even remember what year I was supposed to open it.  So ironically at the age of 16 I wasn't responsible enough to keep the letter I wrote for myself to read when I was a responsible adult!

Also I should mention that today is Valentine's Day, so Happy Valentine's Day.  Boone had his party yesterday and the first thing he said when he got home was that someone gave him a pencil.  He was a little disappointed until I assured him that a pencil was a great thing for him to have and that I'd sharpen it for him.  My older two children, 4th grade and 6th grade, have their parties today so it's getting interesting now.  We'll see what kinds of things they got.  In fact, in 6th grade bringing Valentine's were optional but if you did bring them you needed to bring one for everyone.  I remember in high school buying the little kids Valentine's to give to my friends.  I mean who at the age of 18 doesn't want a Care Bear Valentine?

"Just because I'm an adult, doesn't mean I always have to act like one."

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