still

He is a real life Peter Pan. He does not want to grow up - ever. He is obviously my child.

Today it manifests itsself in the grocery store.

He wants to stand on the cart while I push. I let him for a bit - but it is hard to maneuver through frozen foods when I can’t see over the top of his head - so I ask him to hop off. He does, but bites his lip - visibly saddened.

“I won’t be able to do fun things much longer mom - I will be a teenager in only 4 years - and I want to do the fun stuff now - before I can’t anymore.”

is he serious? It’s like he’s been raised by wolves. He is talking to the chick who rides a scooter to work, who can blow bubblegum bubbles inside of bubbles bigger than his head. I sing to myself, tap dance in the store, fingerpaint on the driveway, and have to be physically removed from waterparks. Where did he get this notion?

So I tell him to step back.

“Why?”

“Because dude - this is not about getting older - it is about refining your technique.” I push off hard with my right foot and hop on the back of the cart for a free ride. His furrowed brow turns to wide eyed astonishment as I weave in and out of customers in the produce section - see a family I know, and wave as I jet past. Finish the ride by popping a wheeliecand spinning a 180 with his sister still in the cart.

He is quiet for a second and then just says, “Wow! Do you think Grandma can do that?”

Hell no, I don’t think grandma can do it - I doubt she ever practiced. But this kid needs to practice . . .so he steps on the bar, and I say, “push off hard.” He does - Peter Pan still flies - hope he always will.