Growing Up in Bits and Pieces

Wesley has been really throwing me for a loop lately. It's not just that I sometimes look at this kid who's all arms and legs and wonder whatever happened to my baby - although that's a big part of it. It's that he is such a big kid in so many ways, and such a little kid in others.

For example, this weekend Ryan has rediscovered "Dora the Explorer" and has stumbled upon a new Disney show called "Doc McStuffins." He loves them and we've watched more Dora in the last 48 hours than we have in the last 4-8 months!  Wesley, however, has turned his nose up at his first love (Dora) and has dismissed both shows as "baby shows." And by "dismissed" I mean "says he isn't going to watch them but watches them while pretending to do something else." We've had to tell him that they aren't baby shows and that he was watching Dora pretty regularly until he started kindergarten, but it doesn't seem to be changing his mind.

Last night Wesley asked me if he could call his friend. I told him he could not because it was starting to get late. "I could just text him," he said. WHAT!? Dude, you are six years old. I'm not letting you send texts to your school friends. Good grief.  He already wants his own iPad and a television in his room (neither of which we are getting him), but texting!?!  I think not!

The other thing that makes me realize how big Wesley is getting is that Mom is no longer one of the smartest people he knows. Never mind that I have a little bit of life experience on the kid and a Master's Degree to boot. Nope, judging my the eye rolls, sighs and cries of "Mo-om" that I get, I must be one of the least informed women on the planet. Seriously, this starts at age six now? I shudder to think what the teen years will be like.

And then it's like a switch is flipped and my little boy is back. Really, how big can a kid be if he needs his teddy bear and a night light every night (which I love)? He hasn't yet reached the point where he is embarrassed to hold his buddy Jack's hand, and he still lets me pick out his clothes.

Wesley is still such a sensitive soul, despite all the superhero stuff he has going on these days. He still needs a lot of reassurance and still tells me he loves me "all the way through the solar system." I hope some thing never, ever change.