Growing Up

7/18/2012

Growing Up

Benjamin (grandson) is a big boy now.  He's 4, potty trained and even uses the "big boy" pot now so the cute, little frog potty has been demoted to basement status.  This is all good, yet a bit sad at least for little old me (Mom-Mom).  

Tonight Jeff went out and bought Ben a booster seat for my car.  The car seat that has been in my car for years will be sold and replaced by the now needed big boy seat.  This seat will accommodate him until I don't know, he's ready for college or something.  It has cup holders so looks a bit like an old man's recliner.  

I have always known that eventually Ben would one day grow up.  He was a baby, then a young toddler and now he might still be considered a toddler - he's on the downward slide out of that group.  He's thinning out, just like they're supposed to.  But, there is something every endearing about chubby baby fingers,toes and cheeks, at least to me.

My old sippy cups have been replaced by "cool" cups with built-in plastic straws and now Ben would rather have chocolate milk than the plain vanilla kind. Of course he still wants a "monkey drink" (which happens to be a liquid yogurt that has a monkey on each bottle) when he visits Mom-Mom's house and I do keep a supply handy.

My baby and toddler spoons and forks are now pushed to the back of the silverware drawer as are my divided plates and the ones that have the raised edges to keep food more on the plate, less on the child.    Ben is now old enough to use real dishes and silverware and now after years of practice seldom drops food over the side of the table.  The dogs miss the younger Ben too - believe me.  For a few years he was definitely the guy to be followed and when he would sit in his highchair or at the table, the dogs would be in the near vicinity to catch any stray morsels.

I'm packing up my Elmo DVD's and taking them to work to a new grandmother.  She says she doesn't need Elmo because the baby is just a few months old - I assure her that she will need and want the Elmo DVDs because all little children love Elmo.  Ben has left Elmo and his much beloved Hi-Five DVDs behind in favor of the newest animated movie available to rent or buy.  

Stuffed animals are now pushed in the back corner of my bedroom, not always forgotten but certainly not the front runner that they once were.  Rocking horses and small riding toys have been sold or given away.  Ben uses a tricycle at my house and rides a two-wheeler (w/training wheels) at his house.

So by the very act of selling one of Ben's car seats already and replacing it with this new, tall, cupholding booster seat, I realize that young Ben is going, going and soon will be gone.  I knew he would grow up, everybody does.  Did it just have to happen so soon?

P