Men At Work

Mitchell has created a new game for himself: he is no longer a boy going to school in the mornings, he is a man going to work.  Clearly, he has gotten over his aversion to "becoming a man."  It isn't enough for him to participate in this fantasy though - I have to join in as well.  He meticulously packs his "work bag" like daddy does each morning (his backpack is so full each  morning that I feel sorry for him when I lift it onto his little shoulders.)  He insists on me calling him either "man" or "Matt."  When we get to school, he no longer wants me to walk him to the door or give him a kiss goodbye.  He stops me and says, "Mom, I'm a man and I'm going to work.  Pick me up in a little minute.  I can walk to the door myself."  When I pick him up a "little minute" later and ask him how school was that day, he patiently reminds me that he was not at school and I should refer to him as "man" or "Matt" (or "Mr. Leem today - whoever that is...)  

It only takes a couple minutes of faking though before he forgets his own game and begins excitedly telling me about how he chased Charlie around the playground, breathing fire at him and trying to rescue Big Boy Jack (not to be confused with our own Baby Jack) from the dungeon, and singing his newest song he has learned in music class.  I'm pretty sure Matt and Mr. Leem do not play dragons, get stuck in dungeons, or sing B I N G O and Twinkle Twinkle at work.  

He really has fun with this game and I am thrilled that he wants to emulate his daddy.  I can play along with his "man" game as long as, in the end, he is having age-appropriate fun at school while looking forward to being a man at the same time.  It seems to me he is doing both quite well.  You are a funny boy, Mitchell. 

When I asked him to "look like a man" before school this morning so I could take his picture, this is the face I got.  Mr. Leem sure is a strange dude...