Tuesday, October 19, 2010

kindergarten crushes (dedicated to kirk williams...wherever you are)

The kids are growing up.  There's no question about that.  But some things...Chad and I are just not ready for.  Like this conversation at dinner last night.

Me:  Why don't you tell Daddy what you told me in the car today after school.

Aiden:  No.

Chad:  It's ok.  You can tell me anything.  What is it?

Aiden:  Oh fine.  I have a boyfriend now.

Chad (color draining from face):  You do?  Who?

Aiden:  Dylan.

Me:  Was it your idea for him to be your boyfriend, or his?

Aiden:  I asked him if he wanted to be my boyfriend and he said no...because he already had another girlfriend.  But then, he said that he broke up with his girlfriend and wanted to date me.

* at this point, colton spewed water out of his mouth laughing and chad and i had to put our heads down...due to a mixture of shock and awe.  after chad and i composed ourselves and quieted the boys, the conversation continued.

Me:  Where did you hear the phrase "he wants to date me?"

Aiden:  I don't know.

Chad:  What do you like about Dylan?

Aiden:  His hair and his eyes.

* both boys lost it again and aiden burst into tears.  chad told them to pull it together or they would be sent from the table.  chase then piped in.

Chase:  One time, a girl in my class asked me if I wanted to go on a date with her.  I said, "okay.  aaaawwwk....wwaaarrrd."

*  at that, chad lost it while i was still trying to console aiden.  i assured her that there was nothing to be embarrassed about and that it was ok.  then we had a long talk about how the good thing about kindergarten was that you can have a bunch of friends that were girls and a bunch of friends that were boys and that you don't start having boyfriends or girlfriends until high school.  i can honestly say that i wasn't ready for that conversation with my sweet pea.  today, i got to talk to her teacher, where i learned that there were some other kids in the class that had some older friends and siblings and that they were talking about such things.  this made me feel a little better.  i just knew it couldn't have been my little baby girl coming up with all these ideas.  i did ask for her to be moved, though.  i wouldn't want chad to have to have words with some kid on the playground inbetween the slide and the monkey bars.  seriously.

however i am reminded of kirk williams...a little boy who professed his love for me in mrs. grimes' kindergarten class in 1980.  he even sang to me every day.   "I can't believe I'm out here on her front porch in this swing...just a swingin..."

maybe the apple doesn't fall too far from the tree afterall.  although...i'm certain he didn't ever say he wanted to "date" me.

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