Friends with Firearms

With a title like that you might be thinking this is a post about hubby. Think not, it is about my sons. Though hubby does aspire to have friends who own cool firearms.

Just the other day I was outside with the elder two boys and I saw some neighbor kids playing up the street. I have been thinking for awhile about going up to introduce ourselves again (it had been 3 years)and seeing how old they are and if they would like to play. Well, here was my chance. I told the boys they should go introduce themselves and offer them a Popsicle (I thought that might give them a leg up in a budding friendship). Thing 1 wanted to go, but not without me and he wanted me to be his "Aaron" and speak on his behalf. ) So we went across together and met the little boy and girl who gladly accepted our offered treats. They were well armed themselves with toys to endear themselves to the Things hearts, nerf guns to be specific. And they quickly produced two more to make sure the Things were well armed as well in their hunt against all deadly robins and starlings in our neighborhood.

A few hours later the Things were still playing hard with their new friends. And my 5 year old who just 3 hours prior had been afraid to even ride his bike on our gravel driveway, was now racing up and down our dirt road chewing gum I did not give him with his new found gang. Somehow without me realizing what was happening he crossed the street holding my hand as my "still little" first born, and he came flying back across a few hours later as his own little independent, slightly sweaty, gum chewing, bike racing little man.

I knew when we entered the world of "neighborhood friends"...you know the ones you let them play with just hoping that they won't be a bad influence, won't be mean, and won't teach your kids to do dangerous things...I was leaving the safety net of being able to choose their friends by who I invited over for a play date and always having them close by so I could hear what was going on. I'm not sure I was really ready to go there but I knew it would need to happen eventually. Somehow crossing the street with them to introduce them was as big for me as walking Thing 1 into his first day of preschool. He is starting his own little life apart from me and out of our home. So as I rejoice with him that he is growing up and enjoying more of this big world around him, I'm wiping away a quick tear that we can't ever go back to the other side of the street again.