Being 5

Dah Rock Shop was every bit as wonderful as Mr. 5 had hoped.  There were 2 worker bees and we two shoppers and no one else for two hours of absolute bliss this afternoon.  Mr. 5 had his gemstone books and $10 and a big smile.  I had my backpack and nothing but time.  We were in heaven.

Who knows why this little boy fell in love with gemstones?  He tells me that he has some crystals at home, but I've never seen them.  At Barnes and Noble with Amster last month he chose Gemstones as his purchase and he's spent the last 3 weeks finding mica inside the rubble around the playground at school.  He's a very good smasher of rocks; just ask him.

Being a younger brother is a role fraught with peril.  As I type, Mr. 7 is sitting in time out for 7 minutes of rumination after deciding that kicking his younger sibling was an appropriate means of gaining his attention.  At his teacher conference last year, Mr. 5 was outstanding in every area save one - leadership.  Amster and I had to laugh - the child has an outspoken, driven, strong-willed older brother.  Any attempt at leadership would be suicidal.

But today was Mr. 5's special day.  I picked him up at early dismissal and told him that he was in charge.  No matter what he said, I responded with "Yes, sir."  Our first stop was AppleDonald's... his combination of Applebees and McDonalds but meaning only Mickey D's.  There was a special Happy Meal toy - a skateboard - that was more important than the nuggets.  Unfortunately, there were no more skateboards.  We left and went to Burger King; this was his day and he was in charge.

After launching our cars (part of BK's Kids Meal) on the plastic seats it was off to look at geodes and fossils and glass crystals and orbs of all dimensions.  He touched everything.  He chose and then reconsidered and then pondered and returned his selection and replaced it with another.  The workers soon became accustomed to his roaming and touching.  He's a very gentle little boy and has delicate hands.  Nothing fell.  Nothing was broken.  Not until we got to my house and he lost the tip of his fossilized geisonoceras.  There were no tears as I reassured him that if we could find the piece I would superglue it together again.  He was basking in the notion of being in charge and nothing was going to ruin his day.

We picked up Mr. 7 after school and got G'ma and some of her Hershey's Kisses and came to my house to play Sorry and Lego's and chess.  Yes, chess.  According to the kids, it's a war game and a thinking game and the fact that I let them play with my beautiful set makes them feel very special.And that's a good thing, because they are.

Amster is taking me to Sedona later this month to thank me for loving her children.  It's really backwards.... I should be taking her.  Having them in my life makes me smile.