1.) A moment you realized your child was growing up.
I’ve written semi extensively about Laina’s purple house. She talks about it much less these days, but she used to yammer on and on about all the different pets she keeps there. It’s a brilliant little spot in her imagination where she gets to do whatever she wants. She has bunk beds, her own telephone, movies galore, hundreds of dogs and one cat.
I knew someday the purple house would go away. She would get too big to believe in such things.
I’ve shot Maile warning glances when I’ve heard her correct Laina, “you don’t really have a purple house…”
“Sure she does” I’d say, “we can build whatever we want in our imaginations and I like Laina’s Purple House and I want to visit her there and eat cake and pet her cat.”
And that was all it took to light up Laina’s eyes and distract her from her big sister’s words, “Oh I have lots of cake at my purple house mom!” she’d say.
I was holding on to my sweet girls imaginary house just as much as she was.
I don’t know why I’m so intent on bottling up the magic that is childhood naivete and carefree living. It’s not like we all have it so bad here in the land of reality.
Nevertheless, at lunch recently Laina said she wished we had a horse in our back yard that she could ride whenever they wanted. I happily chimed in that she could have a horse at her purple house and Laina quietly put down her fork, glanced at Maile and then said, “but Mom…I don’t really have a purple house…it’s not real.”
I don’t know why I was so disappointed. It irritated the hell out of Maile that Laina talked so incessantly about a house that clearly did not exist. I knew it was just a matter of time before she cornered Laina for some serious sense talking. It’s what big sister’s do. To me, losing the purple house marks a turning point…a step away from the land of make believe.
And OH how I prefer the land of make believe!
The Prompts:
1.) A moment you realized your child was growing up.
2.) Amy Winehouse died. Another name amidst a growing list of talented celebrities lost to addiction. Your reaction.
3.) What do you miss most about the school year?
4.) Share a favorite craft or game that will keep your kids busy for at least 20 minutes.
5.) Write a post where the first and last sentence contain any form of the word “boss.”