Wait, what??!

   Today has been a good day so far.  Feeling productive--house cleaned, school with Ethan, drama-free nap time, worked on blog...so far, so good.  Then Jaden came home from school.
 
   Don't get me wrong...he did nothing wrong.  We have been struggling a little with his motivation to get school done right, but this week has been much better.  He has done so well actually that he has earned tomorrow off of school for a fun day.  It's not what he did, it's what he said when he came home from school.  In our conversation about the happenings of the school day, he said "Mom, H. (a little girl in our school) invited me to her house, can I go?"  "Maybe," I said, "Is she having a birthday party?"  "No, it's a dance." he innocently replied.

   Wait, WHAT??!

    Now, keep in mind, he is in FIRST grade, and the little girl is in 2nd grade.  I didn't think I would have to be discussing these issues until MUCH later in his life!  (Although, this is a problem I run into fairly often with Jaden; he is 6 going on 21.)  So I killed my first reaction, which was to scream "A WHAT?", and I thought about it rationally.  Knowing H.'s mom, I had a feeling that I would have heard about any 'official' party to be had.  Therefore, I simply said that when H.'s mom told me about the party then we would discuss attending said PARTY (not DANCE!!).  There...crisis averted. 

   The whole thing was over in a few minutes, but it was an uncomfortable reminder that the boys are growing up, maybe faster than I want them to some days.  As a mom of toddlers, you get lulled into a sense that these days of diapers, runny noses, magical wound-healing kisses, and baby talk will be here forever.  They won't, and these glimpses into the future are a startling reminder that time is flying.

   I think about the kids I taught in school before I had kids, and they are growing up, & having kids of their own.  I hoped to make a difference in their lives, and I have the same prayer as I train my own kids up now.  My prayer is that I impart God's wisdom whenever I get the chance, and that the little seeds of God's Word that we have planted will begin to grow and bear fruit. 

   And also, that I will never hear the statement, "going to a dance"  from any of the boys ever again!!  I'm not sure my heart can handle it!  :)