Young Love

On Big Kid's first day of school, he met a girl who was also brand new that day. He got in the car and told me he had made a new friend, that they ate lunch together, and that she liked video games. He had some money for the vending machine and he bought her a drink.

Hmmm. I wondered if he had a crush on her. But his best friend is a girl and he really likes girls, and with her being into video games and also brand new to the school, I decided they just had a lot in common.

She invited him over to her house for an after-school play date and they had a nice time.

He once mentioned offhandedly that he was irritated with a kid in his class for starting a rumor that he and she were girlfriend and boyfriend when they were NOT, they were just friends.

"Eh. She's a nice girl. There are worse rumors that could be started," I pointed out.

"True. She's very cool and she's a gamer chick, that can be hard to find," he was quick to say.

Hmmm.

Eventually, I began hearing less about her. I'd ask and he'd casually brush my question off with a quick, "Yes, we still talk, we're in the same class!" and he would change the subject. I figured the social stigma blew up on them and they were distancing themselves. I was relieved to hear about him hanging out with boys in his class.

But the other day he showed me a 3-page comic he drew, where the two of them fought wordlessly for a cookie, and in the last panel it broke in half, allowing them each to have a piece, and they looked at each other and smiled.

It was a really good comic, but hmmm.

Then I was cleaning out his desk and found a hanger mobile with animal pictures and their Native American translations on them.

"What is this? It's a mess. Can I throw it away?" I asked.

"Uh, well, do you remember the dream catcher I had for my project?"

"Yes."

"I gave it to J. and she hung it by her bed! So this was a part of her project and she gave it to me. I was thinking I could hang it by my bed? I probably should, since she did..."

Dammit. Big Kid has a girlfriend. I know that was obvious to everyone else in the first paragraph but I'm slow.

And now he has a picture of a squirrel on a ribbon tied next to his bed. It doesn't quite fit the decor.

He wants to buy her a custom-made Minecraft plush toy that looks like her Minecraft character. He is elated about this idea. The mom half of me thinks it is absolutely absurd and possibly inappropriate for him to buy a $45 gift for her...but the girl half of me thinks, "Damn, that's a sweet and thoughtful gift idea."

But I'm not sure I'm ready for all of this.

I mean him...he's not ready. He's too young.

Also, squirrels just don't fit in with a nautical room theme.