The GFYO (giant five year old) is no longer F. And he's not so much G any more. Maybe he's KB -- kinda big -- but KBSYO just doesn't roll off the tongue. Not that GFYO did, but still. I guess it's time to move on.
My youngest kid is six today. Six years old. I think it's the same year that Christopher Robin and Pooh parted ways. Six feels like double digits for baby children: six is important and meaningful the same way that ten is, and sixteen, and twenty one and forty. Six heralds the official beginning of genuine childhood.
It's also the first step of his long, quick march away from me.
Today, he who hates homework decided to finish all five pages in one afternoon. Yesterday, he who is lazy and brilliantly manipulative asked for a shoelace tying lesson -- asked for it! -- after months of me trying in vain to teach him. Today, he told me that the balloon I greeted him with at school was "kind of embarrassing." Tonight, he ate ice cream cake with a fork and though his mouth was chocolate mustachioed, the floor was spotless and the counter too.
It's as if he picked this day to do all these big kid things all at once, as if he knows Six already, as if he's been waiting on it and practicing for it, maybe while I was nagging him to tie his own shoes or just not looking. Either way, I think he's trying to remind me how big Six is, and I don't mean big in a Giant kind of a way but in a whoa, wait a sec kind of way, a stop and look around kind of way. A "yesterday I couldn't wipe my own butt, but tomorrow you better not squeeze mine" kind of way.
The GFYO? It's so hard to say goodbye. Thank god I've got this
to blackmail you with.
Happy Birthday, Boy Child. Your mommy loves you.
10commentsBrilliant Person Wrote...
Any chance your brand new 6 year old will come teach my 8 year old how to tie his own shoes? I'm convinced the kid actually knows how, but he just likes to see me fall to his beck and call to do it for him.
Happy birthday to a kid with the sweetest dance moves I've ever seen!
Happy Birthday! Welcome to Six. We will be heading up to Seven in June.
What's that sound? Aaaaah -- it's puberty callin!
Happy Birthday, KBSYO!
You already have MUCH better dance moves than this 38YO. Really.
Happy Birthday to the no longer GFYO! I can't believe we are nearing the end of six with the Wonderboy. Sigh.
I am going to marry that boy.
Awwww.
Happy birthday, dude.
I had something to say, but can't remember what it was. Doubled over, giggling.
it never gets old.
Loved your take on the incredibly momentous occasion of being SIX. After all these years, I still remember being all grown up back then. Also remember how hard it was to let go of the GFYO.
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