Finish Strong

As if I wasn't already noticing on a daily basis how much Collin is growing, he decided this weekend to take up calling me, "Mama".  It's very obvious that he's doing it cautiously and watching for a response.  At first I just laughed at it and didn't make a big deal.  We asked him a few times where he picked it up, but he would just shrug his little boy shoulders.  It wasn't until yesterday afternoon when I realized it really bothers me!

We offered to pick up a friend from the airport yesterday evening, so we went to Little Rock early and made a Target run.  Collin had had a nap and a snack and apparently that made for a lethal combination because he was literally running through Target like it was the playground at his daycare.  I can't tell you how many times he was almost taken out by someone's cart as they came around an aisle...or a clothing rack.  He was a wild-child!  The store was pretty empty, because you know, SUPER BOWL XLVIII, plus there was this whole rainy, sleet thing going on outside.  But still, the kid was off his rocker with excess energy.  So it was during this time that he's running 50 feet ahead of me and then turning around to yell, "Hey!  Mama!!" when I realize I am NOT ready to be someone's "mama".

Some of you will totally get it, and some of you will think I'm ridiculous.  All I can say is that I may never get to do this again; I may never have anyone else to call me Mommy.

Well, on the way to school this morning, Collin declared that so-and-so (a little boy who is older than him but attends the same school and church as Collin) calls his mom "mama".  I knew he got it from somewhere!!

Besides trying to convince my kid to call me mommy again, we were also able to pick our friend up from the airport.  Collin held a cute little sign with her name on it, like he was her chauffeur.  She had to come down an escalator toward us, so she could see the sign the whole way down.  When she got off, Collin ran to her and gave her a big hug, and then he threw the sign at her and walked back toward Jarrod and me.  It was exactly like something out of a rom-com, until that last little bit!  Needless to say, everyone around us thought it was the most adorable thing ever.  I'm sure they thought she was our long lost friend/sister/what-have-you, rather than someone who lives here already and who we just happened to be picking up after a weekend trip to visit her boyfriend.  Fun times!

And because it wouldn't be a blog post without a weather gripe from me, please note that yesterday it was freezing (literally) and sleeting.  However, one week ago it was so nice outside that we went for a walk with Collin, and he rode his tricycle further than either of us imagined possible.  I really hope that Punxsutawney Phil is wrong.

Heart-breaker in the making.

Ok, so this may have happened for a little bit, but we made Collin get back on once we were close to the car so he could "finish strong"!  He loved it.