I wrote a blog not too long ago about having Peter Pan in our house. Claire has repeatedly told me how she doesn’t want to grow up. I love that about her. She has a mature take on life at such a young age. In my Peter Pan blog I talked about how I spent my childhood wishing I was grown up ~ the polar opposite of Claire. Now Claire and I are on the same page. I have no desire to grow up or act my age most of the time.

It’s a perilous journey to grow up. There are pitfalls to avoid and I plan to avoid them by not growing up. I am not sure it’s exactly healthy but right now I’ll go with it. Zach spends a lot of time in eye roll mode. I do something just a little off the wall or goofy and I get the eye roll. The other day “Where the Boat Leaves From” by the Zac Brown Band came on the a radio and I started dancing ~ eliciting the eye roll from Zach. He went on to say “YOU are not my mother! You are far too weird to be my mother!” Zach’s eye rolls are comical and they are good natured so I really don’t bother too much about them from him.

I am OK with eye rolls from my kids. Where I am starting to get a little concerned is when I am shopping. My girlfirends and I are spending the week at the beach and I decided I needed a new bathing suit. Off we go to the nearest surf shop to look for the perfect suit. The staff at the shop was helpful and friendly but they led me to, what I consider, old lady suits. I am SO not used to “old lady” swim wear and was moritified when I was trying them on. I like to think of myself as just a little sassy in my clothing choices but yesterday was an eye opener. I ended up leaving the store without purchasing a thing and feeling a little deflated in the ego. Is this where I really am…looking at old lady swimwear? And is this where I really am supposed to be?

I don’t want to look like a fool in my clothing choices or in my actions but I certainly don’t want to look like or act like an old lady before my time. There are perils and pitfalls in growing up and there are perils and pitfalls in not growing up. There are choices to make to avoid the pitfalls of growing up. So, I think I’ll choose to stay where I am comfortable…there is plenty of time to be grown up later.

I want all of my kiddos to learn to that it’s OK to not be grown up all of the time and not to rush into being grown up. I am responsible and grown up when I have to be but I can let loose with the best of them when it’s the time is right. That is what I want my kids to learn…the perils and pitfalls of growing up…or not. It’s their choice.

Oh, for the love of my children…