Freaking me Out!

Yesterday M-ito came into the living room, holding a book in his hands, shaking his head, saying, “You’re freaking me out! You’re freaking me out.” I’m not sure what the book had to do with it but my son has picked up parent lingo and it’s a little scary. Now if he starts to say, “It’s a little scary,” I’m in even bigger trouble.

First Bicycle

M-ito went through two tricycles – neither one of which he used much except on the floor of our apartment and for climbing on to get to the comfy chair from the back (it’s a kind of household mount everest). Mostly he wasn’t interested in them. He didn’t seem to have the drive to drive the three wheels. I shrugged and moved on as did Mom-ita. 

Last week he said he wanted a bike with training wheels. Yesterday, he still wanted one and said he wanted to ride it around all over the place. We said he could ride it on the sidewalk and at the park. That’s how deals are made. 

I watched him pick out his own bike last evening. He had five choices and it wasn’t easy. I watched him unable to choose between cool colors and a bell. The right bike would have had a bell, a back rack, a hand brake (hey they have them for kids these days), red in color, and just the right feeling. He sat on each bike at least three times and rode them back and forth across the floor of Spokesman Cycles (a bike store at Atlas Mall). The staff (both young kids and the manager) were excellent. They answered questions. They raised and lowered seats. They brought out all their different bells for M-ito to look at. They searched for red tassles and said they’d order them for us when they found out they were out. Did I mention they let him ride all over the floor?  

Amidst all this, M-ito looked and watched and rode. I didn’t want him to rush. Sometimes I notice, under pressure, he will simply choose something that is closest because he can’t decide. I’ve seen him in agony over which color plastic frog to buy then take home a color that he wished he hadn’t. This time I didn’t want him to rush. I wanted him to really choose, to breathe and make a choice that he knew was right from the tip of his head to ends of his toes. Se we looked at bikes for 45 minutes. He narrowed it down to two. He tried them out again, settled his hands on his hips, looked at us with a big question in his eyes then settled in and nodded, “Yes, this one.”

It’s orange, has triangle brace training wheels, a hand brake, some room to grow, a bell with a horse on it, red tassels on order, and that special something that only a six year old boy can see. It’s that something that speaks of adventures riding across sidewalks, speeding down hills, coasting into school, catching bugs between his teeth, and rescuing wild animals with.

I was so proud of him.

Then on the way out, he almost ran into a wall and used my foot as a brake. He smiled a grin from ear to ear the whole time. So it goes. 

Move Over Noggin

It happened sometime over the last four months. I couldn’t put my finger on the exact date. But today I could deny it no longer. It became official. Now that my son can officially turn the TV on and off without any help, and find his own channels – all this comes with graduating kindergarten – his go-to channel has become Animal Planet. I remember when it was Oswald, and Little Einsteins, and Wonder Pets, and Dora, and Diego. Everything was on Noggin, and Noggin was king. Now it’s shows like, It’s Me or the Dog, Meerkat Manor, Corwin’s Quest, and the Crocodile Hunter. Sigh, he’s growing up.

Of course this also means he’s watching commercials and quoting lines from the advertisement for Activia. Noggin had no commercials. Noggin is genius. Noggin is good. Commercials are capitalism in my living room. M-ito knows all about weight loss and other products I’d rather that he didn’t know about, but with Animal Planet comes the rest of the grown up world and a barrage of products that he doesn’t need. Still he soaks these commercials up and is fascinated by them.

Yesterday Mom-ita called him in for dinner and he said, “Wait, there’s a commercial on. I’ll come in when it’s over.”

Crikey.

Just Go Then

I was up early to go to work. M-ito graduated Kindergarten last week so he was asleep, actually sleeping late. Just as I was about to leave I heard him walk into the bathroom. I wandered in to say goodbye.

“You’re leaving?” he asked, rubbing his eyes.

“Yeah, I have to go to work today.”

“But Mommy said if I got up early enough you’d have some time to play with me.”

“I’m sorry honey, I have to get into work and I’ve got to move the car first.” It was alternate side parking and I had about an hour before we were ticketed.

“But,” he began.

“I’m sorry but I have to go. When I get home we can… “

“Just go then,” he said, turning his back to me.

I tried to give him a kiss goodbye but he pushed me away with his hands, folding his arms across his chest and lowering his chin to his chest. “Just go,” he said again, in a softer voice.

I walked to the front door and he followed me, detouring into the living room. I stopped at the door and walked back towards him. He was gazing at the Monopoly Junior game we’d started the day before but not finished. I was almost bankrupt so there weren’t many turns left in the game. I sat down next to him.

“You want to finish the game?” I asked.

He looked up at me and nodded.

“I can be a little late.” 

He smiled and we played for all of ten minutes. That’s all it took to bankrupt me, and to make him happy. I kissed him goodbye and he let me go this time with a return kiss.