Kinder almost six

Mary and S took the train up from Berkeley for a visit this weekend. It was just mamas and kids as Cap was in LA for work.

I had two of those moments when the world slows for just a minute and you're filled with awe and wonder because your kid does something so naturally and simply, showing you that they have grown up a bit. That sometimes grinding, glacial pace of parenting is magically disappeared with a wave of an almost six year old's magic being.

On Friday, the three kids were settling on the big bed for a dose of the Backyardigans (Pre and Kinder's big favorites right now). I was about to embark on a longish dinner preparation so I told Kinder and Pre that they could each pick an episode (normally it would have just been Pre who could choose since it was his "choose" day). Pre promptly picked It's Great To Be A Ghost. Kinder announced that since S was their guest she should be able to have a choose and relenquished his. S happily picked Key To The Nile (and grew bored with the scene within five minutes :-)

On Saturday, we arrived at the Amtrak station with little time to spare. It was one of those situations that tends to get my adrenaline going. Two moms, three kids (5, 4 and 2), a couple of bags, a big ass car seat, a dinosaur book, and an unpredictable parking lot to cross. Wondering about the permutaton of hands to hold and hands needed to carry stuff, Kinder wordlessly picked up the rear end of the Britax, lightening my load considerably. My other hand was freed up to hold Pre's hand (who later on would stop my heart as he giggled his bouding body right out into the path of miraculously empty traffic after we dropped our friends and their stuff at the train).

Yay for growing up. Yay for being almost six.