I was excited at the possibilities. Being a working mom, I miss the best hours of his day, and when we are together, I'm either barking commands (clean your room! eat your dinner! don't pick your nose!) or too distracted from my day or by my iPhone to strike up a conversation full of "why?" and "how come?"
But that night, I told myself I would listen. REALLY listen, instead of my zoned out state of "uh-huh, that's nice honey." I would get to know my little man, who's developed a personality that his teachers and little friends seem to love. So in between painting at Color Me Mine, dinner at Five Guys, a treat at Yogurtland, and jumping around at the playground, here are ten things I learned on my date with my son:
1. Captain America is WAY cooler than Iron Man.
This is significant because for the last two years he has been OBSESSED with Pixar's Cars. So it was news to me that he's transitioning to superhero worship. This would explain all the jumping off the couch and posing on tables as of late.
2. He likes cheeseburgers more than pizza when given a choice.I always assumed the kid would choose pizza. But he told me he "always" eats it (bad mommy!), so I guess he doesn't see it as a treat.
3. He has the toddler-specific talent... of spinning around and around without getting dizzy.
I said, "Aren't you getting dizzy?" He asked, "What's dizzy?" I said, "When you spin around and even if you stop, it feels like you're still moving." He laughed and said "No!" and kept on spinning.
4. He smacks his lips in between sentences.
I noticed in the past, he would often picks up my speech habits. He would ask, "Right?" after a statement, like I do, right? But I do not know where he got the lip smacking thing. And once he starts, it's constant. So our convo would go something like this: "Mommy?" (smack) "Did you know..." (smack) "...my friend Eddie..." (smack) "...is still three?" (smack)
5. He makes new friends wherever he goes.
We weren't at the playground but a minute, when I look up and he's chatting up some little girl and they start playing together. If only we could all make new friends so easily as adults. He makes it look so simple. "Hi. Do you want to play with me?" Granted, that line might get him smacked if he said it as a young man, but it sure works for him now.
6. He wants to marry me.
He doesn't seem to understand why he can't. I told him I already have a husband, his daddy. This does not deter him. The way he sees it, if you love someone, you should be able to marry them. And since I'm the number one girl in his life right now, he was heartbroken when I turned him down. But I know that I'll be just as heartbroken (and happy for him) the day when I get replaced by the real love of his life.
7. He can finish an entire Five Guys burger in one sitting.
The boy can put it away. I could barely finish mine. My food budget will have to triple as he grows.
8. He wants to be a daddy when he grows up.
I asked him what he wants to be when he's an adult, and he answered, "A daddy." I said, "Yes, but what do you want to do to make money? You need to make money to support your family." He shrugged and said, "I'll do my chore chart, and get my allowance!"
9. He loves the colors red and orange.
This surprised me too. I asked him what colors he wanted to paint with and I assumed he would pick blue or green, or so-called boy colors. As he happily smeared red and orange all over his plate, I resolved to not limit his creativity and not freak out if he gets messy. Having a boy has been so different from having a girl. My daughter is a perfectionist. She colors in the lines, cares about order, follows the rules, and listens to what I and her dad tell her to do. My son, not so much. But for all his silliness he can be so sweet, for all his stubbornness he is smart and it is a privilege being his mommy.
10. I'm the "best mommy ever!"
Needs no explanation. ; )