Now we are Ten

Grayson celebrated his tenth birthday yesterday. It was a pretty low-key celebration, as compared to previous years, because the big party with all of his friends will not occur until Sunday. But he opened presents in the morning and we had dinner with my folks last night. (Golden Corral – G's choice)

So now he is ten. Double digits. And time to start thinking about some Things. Things like when to have The Talk with him. The sooner the better, I'm guessing, though I am loathe to do so just yet. This is a kid who still believes in the Tooth Fairy and Santa. I'm just not ready yet to drop that bomb on him.

I'm sure this is the last year he will still Believe. If he still really does at all. He may be pretending for my sake, which is sweet too.

This is a difficult time for a mom. Well, for this mom. I so want to hold on to his little boyness just a little longer. And at the same time I look forward to finding out what kind of teenager – what kind of adult he will turn out to be. Just not yet... not yet.

He's into reading the Scott Pilgrim graphic novels right now. An odd series upon which the odd movie was based. I've read the first three, to see what it is, exactly, that I'm putting into his ten-year-old hands. It's pretty benign. But there are a few Issues that come up. Couples climbing into bed together and talking about sex. (not doing it... just talking about it. The Word comes up, anyway.) And the Gay thing... which is not really much of a thing to Grayson, since he was raised (I hope) in a very accepting family with gay and lesbian friends, whom he accepts as a matter of course.

And, as I've often said, I'd much rather he saw sex on TV or in books than violence. But it does bring to mind that the time is fast approaching when Gray and I will be obliged to explain the birds and the bees to our little boy... and the changes he can expect as he begins to navigate the murky waters of adolescence. So far, it's barely lapping at his toes. I suppose I should talk with him about it before it begins to creep upward. So to speak.

Sigh. It makes me sad. I knew I couldn't keep my little boy forever. But it seems to be going so quickly!

But meanwhile, he's still a sweet, creative and bright boy. Totally engaged in graphic novels (here he is diving into one yesterday morning when he opened a set of four Scott Pilgrims) and Pokemon cards and playing games on his Nintendo right now. When he got the new Pokemon game at dinner last night, we could all tell that our outing was essentially over. He couldn't wait to get home to play it! And that's essentially what he has done during his waking hours at home ever since.