Last week as an old work buddy was doing me the tremendous favor of cutting apart the Boo’s school photos (seriously I would pay an extra five bucks for that because I canNOT cut a straight line) I said something misty about how much my kid has changed since September. My friend said something really smart in response: We all change all the time, but we don’t think we do. Well, that was the spirit of it. I don’t recall the precise words because Baby Ate My Brain.
Anyway, it’s gotten me thinking about the changes I’ve undergone this school year, right along with my kid.
He’s grown taller and gotten heavier, while I have grown wider. (Seriously, Mother Nature?!)
He’s gained confidence in his physical abilities by exploring the creek behind his school and pushing the playground to its limits. I’ve done the same by trying wacky fitness classes in order to write about them.
He’s acquired a taste for Rush, ACDC and Ozzy Osbourne, and I’ve learned to tolerate them.
He’s gained more sophisticated debate skills, and I’ve developed new parrying techniques that (mostly) don’t piss him off.
He’s discovered the joys of extended day, and I’ve discovered I can get professional, paid writing done during those glorious additional kid-free hours. Or catch up on Call the Midwife (it takes hours for the Ugly Cry Face to dissipate).
He’s moved into the “I can do it/I know how/Let me try” phase, and I’ve learned to sit on my hands/say yes/not react to the appearance of a mess on the floor I JUST cleaned.
He’s learned how to write his name, and I’ve learned to decode his scrawl.
He’s made great strides in negotiating relationships with his peers, and I’ve learned how to negotiate Facebook troll attacks.
He started wearing glasses a few weeks after I started wearing stronger bifocals.
You get the idea, but I’ve saved the best for last: At the beginning of the year, the Boo reported in horrified Junior Narc tones that some of his classmates used potty talk. Last week he told me, eyes a-twinkle, “I do potty talk at school now Mama!” Then he waited for a reaction. All I gave him was a bored, “Oh really?”
See, even a Mama-Come-Lately can learn new tricks. Happy Summer, everyone!
Mama-Come-Lately 
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