Imagination

When I was a girl, I thought I had a vivid imagination, but I don't think it holds a candle to my middle child. He is a scientist, an engineer, a sheriff, a knight, a chef, a magician, a secret agent, and many other things I can't even remember right now. It started as soon as he was able to walk good and for Christmas, Santa brought him a trunk of dress up costumes. Each time I was out and about, I would search for items to add to the box. Found a beanie hat and a construction vest at Michael's Craft Store, a fireman costume at Wal-Mart, and the husband made a magic wand to go with the magician's hat. We are still adding to it as his interests change and inside the trunk that once was barely full enough to cover the bottom, it is now overflowing to the point that it needs to be cleaned out.
I giggle and laugh at him when he morphs into one of his imaginary persona's, but in reality, I wish sometimes, that I too could slip away into a costume and go undetected or be completely inconspicuous for a while. I try to remember that I shouldn't keep his imagination on a leash, but I worry that if I didn't set some sort of boundary, it could get completely out of hand. Once we visited my husband's grandmother in the nursing home after her knee replacement, and he had to wear his spider-man costume. The elderly people there just adored him, and praised me for embracing his imagination, but when is too much? Hopefully there isn't a line for me to draw, because he is truly a FREE SPIRIT!

One day, we went grocery shopping and he wore his grandfather's old hat and I drew a mustache on his cute little face and he adorned a pair of little glasses; just his size and we had the best time laughing and giggling, and the people there also enjoyed the sweet spirit of my boy.

Just this morning, we were playing construction, and we built a secret laboratory out of wooden blocks and then we transformed into scientists that mixed secret magic potion and drank it all down and had secret laboratory muffins for breakfast. I once told my mother that I never wanted to grow up, and she politely informed me that being a child forever was NOT an option. As a mother, I now realize her statement was so true, but I still get a chance to be a kid everyday. I relive my childhood in my children, and I hope they carry on the same way with their children. I maintain a prior statement I made.... I never want to grow up, but I would like to change it just a bit. How about "I never want to grow old enough to forget how fun it is to be a kid".... Everyday is a world of wonder and surprises and I wish I could remember every single one!