almost 8 {and a date}

Kiddo and I celebrated Martin Luther King Jr. Day by going on a date.

First stop:  Dunkin Donuts.  Strawberry frosted with sprinkles for him.  Plain old glazed for me (but it's my favorite).

Second stop:  thrift store.  His choice.  And where he excitedly spent some of his savings on a giant duck.

I have an aversion to buying stuffed animals at thrift stores, but when you have a son who collects ducks and is absolutely tickled when he finds one so huge and soft and fluffy and irresistible, and for the bargain price of $3.50 instead of $27.99 (or whatever), you are willing to make a few concessions.  Or, at least, I am. 

We also spent $7 (of Mommy's money) on a stack of books that should keep him busy for a while.

Actually, at the moment, they are keeping me busy instead, as half of them are favorites of mine that I haven't read in more than 20 years, and I've been having fun getting reacquainted.

Final stop:  Staples.  Also his choice.  Really.

 

And then we were home, where Kiddo built a giant blanket fort in the middle of the living room and busily organized important papers (like grammar worksheets and old spelling homework) with his new office supplies.

And, speaking of this child of mine, he turns 8 next week.  EIGHT YEARS OLD.  How can this be?  

It has been so fun to watch him grow and learn, to see glimpses of the little boy of the past, the bigger boy of the present, and the you're-growing-too-fast-please-slow-down-but-wow-I-like-who-you-are-becoming-grown-up boy of the future.  

This morning on the way to school we were planning his birthday party (I'm starting a little late.  Oops).  In the past, we have always had small informal family parties here at home, with grandparents and occasionally a few cousins.  But this year he wanted a party with friends.  I asked him who he would invite.  He listed some kids from church and two or three kids that he plays with regularly at school.  "And I want to invite [boy from school]" he says, "because some days he doesn't like me and I want to see if I can be better friends with him."  

I am one proud mama.  Friendship comes so effortlessly for most kids, and he has to struggle and work hard every day to feel included and to figure out the complex social ebb and flow of his classmates.  And yet, because of that, he is willing to go the extra mile to make a friend.  Where I would be happy to ignore the boy-who-doesn't-like-me, he is willing to reach out and risk himself to make a relationship better.  Sure, I'm scared of him being hurt if it doesn't work out, but I am so stinkin' proud of him for having the courage to try. 

He may have trouble making friends, but at 7 almost 8 years old, he sure knows a lot already about how to be one.