I anticipated Mikey’s sixth birthday with the same heavy heart from the previous five.� Six is not five, not even close.� It isn’t four, three, two, or one, either, but more than that, it’s a number outside the realm of baby or preschooler or even little boy.� Six is a kid.� Mikey is a kid.
As luck would have it, I read a blog post right before my annual “week before the birthday” angst that claimed the older your children get the more you enjoy them.� I took it as a sign from God.� I ignored him.
I didn’t, however, ignore a three day old craving for greasy Mexican food.� The day before Mikey’s birthday was a half day at school.� I picked him up and decided to take him and Nicholas out to lunch at Miguel’s Jr even though they don’t love it.� Despondent times call for decadent measures, giving me the green light to satisfy my craving for shredded beef tacos.� (Between you and me, it’s a good thing I don’t live near any of their locations.)
So I walked up to the register, me with my kid(!) and my preschooler, armed with a child’s menu full of little they would eat.� Quesadilla?� Burrito? Cheese enchilada?� I knew none of those would really fly and, feeling slightly guilty for celebrating Mikey’s pre-birthday with food he doesn’t like, asked him if he would like to share a very small order of nachos with Nicholas.� It would be a fun treat– not that I planned to eat the leftovers, of course.� (Ahem.) I said as much to him, minus me eating their leftovers.� He didn’t answer.
Instead, he was looking at the menu board.� I nudged him back to earth.
“Mikey, come on.� People are waiting.� Nachos with Nico, okay?”
“Okay.”� He didn’t sound convinced, but a five year old rarely is when it comes to food.� He continued to look at the menu board and finally, after a five second internal struggle, grabbed my sleeve.
“No, mom,� wait.� I want a taco.”
“Huh?”
“I want a taco.”
“Are you sure?”� I almost ignored him.� I mean, don’t get me wrong; the tacos are outstanding.� But I never mentioned to him the tacos, nor has he ever had a taco, so I wasn’t sure why he wanted a taco.� Also, I didn’t want to pay for a it, have him hate it, and then have to turn around and buy something different.
I ordered him the taco in honor of his pre-birthday, waste be damned.� Still, I was curious enough to ask him about his choice in food.� He raised his almost six year old eyebrows in surprise, hiding them behind the hair he complains is too long.� (I’ll cut it.� One travesty at a time, please.)
“Mom, I read it on the menu.� I read it on the menu and it sounded good.”
That phrase right there…it sounded good…is why six is nowhere near five.� Five doesn’t read menus.� Five doesn’t walk into a fast food joint wanting nachos and then decides on tacos based on a written description of fresh ingredients.� Five picks at a quesadilla.� Six inhales the taco after polishing off the rice and beans.� Then Six asks for more and eats the rice and beans off his mom’s plate because she is too busy staring at him like he just grew a second nose.
Six is talkative and waves at friends from school who are also enjoying lunch out on a half day of school.� Six, it turns out, is not too big and not too small and has impeccable taste in Mexican food.� Six is cool.
We took Mikey out to Balboa for his 6th birthday.� We ordered a pizza, which he thought was just okay.� The pie he liked as much as a good taco.
Happy Birthday Mikey! I don’t even want to think of 6. Thinking of my 5 year old heading to Kindergarten in 7 weeks is just enough to do me in, thank you very much. But 6? 6 I can’t even imagine right now! Good job mama.
Oh! What an awesome post.
I would console you, but… Alas, I am the mother of a NINE year old. He’ll be TEN this August. ‘SO not even close to SIX. While I do miss age six and below, I wouldn’t trade the wonders of nine for anything, but may God give me the strength to endure the first moment when he starts to feel embarrassed by his mother. Because I think I shall die at that first moment. I am already dreading it. It isn’t a necessary evil… Is it?
Oh good grief! I must need a vacation more than I thought because I’m sitting here, all teary eyed … they grow up so fast! *let us celebrate! two short comments in a row! SCORE!*
What a well-written post! You have a gift, Miss Jules. I’d love to see you write for a magazine or a newspaper. You’d be great at it.
Every time my son (now 16) fell in love with a new kind of “grown up” food my heart did the Chandler Bing Happy Dance. Especially after all those years I spent waiting in the drive-thru line for McTurds and a Beanie Baby :)
Heart warming! x
I have two toddlers, 3 and 2. Every time you write about your boys growing up I cringe and smile and want to be sick all while excited that one day I, too, will know what it feels like to watch your child ordering big kid food.
Jules, the blog you read is right! Overall your older kids are way more funner! ;) (Minus the talking back and fighting with each each other-which mine are both doing right now) Big kids enjoy jokes-they even get the ones that are not obvious. Big kids wipe their own bottoms! Big kids can get things for you and do things!!! Vacations with big kids? Way more vacation-y and less work! Happy Birthday Mikey. And you’re allowed a few tears mama…it’s a transition to be sure. It’s bittersweet!
Love this.
And I love six, seven, eight, and on. Actually, even 15 is pretty cool so far. Who knew?
Despondent times call for decadent measures! I seem to be applying that philosophy quite freely as of late. :)
My baby just turned 1! Every time you write about you boys growing up I feel like crying, so sweet but I’m not ready to face it.
Six is so fabulous, I love six. Much better than 5.
Happy Birthday, sweet boy.
This post is so unbelievably awesome!
And Happy Birthday to Mikey. What an extremely smart “kid” :)
Gosh Jules, now all I want are taco’s! I love that it sounded good, that’s a smart whipper snapper you got there!
Hi Jules … was today the big day? My baby’s birthday is also today, though she turned nine (gulp) … so far so good with every year, but geez I sure wish I could slow it down and enjoy each year for just a little longer ;-)
btw … those are incredible photos of Mikey … dear god, that ‘kid’ is handsome!!
No, it was on Saturday. :) Happy birthday to your “baby!”
p.s. Thanks on the photo compliments. :)
not to mention those mad dancing skillz of his – bitch, pleeeze ;-)
back atcha on the b’day wishes, momma …
Mmmmm, Miguel’s. Lucky Mikey…Mikey next time try the BRC burrito. Nom Nom Nom! ;)
Oh, that’s funny! I had one craving while pregnant with Mikey, and it was a BRC burrito from Miguel’s. ONLY Miguel’s. We lived in Corona at the time and lived minutes from a drive-thru. Whoah, Nelly. That was trouble. :)