The Slamming of Doors

When did my sweet little baby boy get old enough to need to slam doors?

To grasp for independence?

His own sense of self?

When did he get old enough to write letters to the tooth fairy?

I suppose he is getting ready to enter that seventh year...

you know ..become a first grader

become himself

I will take all of those hugs and cuddles as I can

the ones that come at the end of hard day of fighting for what is right!

Ok...I am not kidding when I tell you that at the end of this post I heard "Mommy, come here, I need you." So I go into his room. "It's stuck" he says with big eyes and a sweet face, about the door that he has been slamming in response to me asking him to write his grandfather a thank you note for a lovely day they have spent together. I mean, this after the actual sticking of fingers in his ears to let me know that he is not listening. "You're forcing me to do this and I already told him thank you" he argues about the note. So I calmly help him fix the door jam so that it will close properly. " "Can you leave?" he asks after the door is fixed. "Ok" I say and he returns to his grumpy, defiant state of being...with a gentle glimpse of toddler left in there somewhere, he shuts the door and disappears into his own space. At least it is still under my roof and he is not peeling out at midnight.

Oh the sweet joys of parenthood. I vow to enjoy it all!

Ok... better still...so 15 minutes goes by and he emerges

"Mom , can I play my game now?"

"Well, we have to talk first," I say

"about what?" he says

"the slamming of doors." I say

" I wasn't slamming the door Mom, just closing it, so you would be surprised." he says

"surprised by what?" I ask

"the thank you note I wrote." he replies

" the thank you note?" I ask

"yes,."he says

"may I see it?" I ask

" well, it's already sealed in the envelope he says." with a smile

ahhhhhh, my sweet, little boy remains

and it was all sealed up on his desk in his room waiting to be mailed.

"That's awesome that you wrote that all by yourself!" I said, "but, it's time to take your bath now." I say

"Ok Mom." he says and begins to take off his clothes.