He's Growing Up

Big Brother was invited to his cousin’s birthday adventure recently. He dressed and was ready, waiting for what seemed like forever to him. After he was dressed he kept looking out the window waiting for his ride. Eventually he called up his cousin to make sure he hadn’t been left behind. The conversation was so cute.

What I could hear from my end was, “Hey…are we still going? I’m all ready…yeah uh huh…my mom takes long too…they tell us to hurry up and then we wait all day...ok, well you know where I live so I’ll still be waiting OK?”

After the call ended Big Brother went outside to wait. He was really excited to go with his cousin. I’ve tried to tell him, “he’s your friend too because you guys get along well,” but Big Brother said, “No my cousins are my bestest friends of friends cuz we know each other since we get borned. Cousins mom.”

Ahhh six-year-olds. I kept looking out to see him waiting patiently on a lawn chair facing the driveway waiting.  I couldn’t believe how old he seemed. This is the son who used to be shy.

The one who never gets to go anywhere with friends but always has friends over to play or sleepover. I don’t think it was because he wasn’t offered the opportunity, I think it’s because he changes their mind to come with us or to his house.

I hear a noise outside and open the door. There he is running away to jump in the vehicle with his friend. I run out and give the mom his ID for the border, since their destination is Big Brother’s favorite city Ottawa. He wasn’t even going to tell me he was leaving! I say goodbye to him and hope he behaves and doesn’t get sad.

He left in the early afternoon. Around nine that night I waited for a call or to hear his feet running up the front steps. By ten, I opened the drapes and sat on the couch that allows me to see the driveway while I watched TV. By Ten-thirty I get worried. My husband went to bed so it’s just me up watching the clock and waiting for my boy to get home. Eleven! He still wasn’t home.

A few minutes later I hear his feet and an extra pair run up the porch steps. All out of breath, Big Brother and his cousin ask if Big Brother can sleep over. I say yes and it’s the first time Big Brother has ever asked to sleep over at a friend’s home. He says he needs clothes and his toothbrush so I grab a sack and put his desired sleepover items in. He gives me a hug in the doorway and then he’s gone. I stand there for a moment totally in shock.

First he spent the whole day away with his buddy and then at the end he goes to sleep over. I stayed up until one thirty in the morning in case I got one of those, “Your kid is homesick and won’t stop crying” calls.

It never came.

Finally I went to bed and laid there thinking to myself, “This is the beginning, he’s growing up.”