Seven Year Itch

This was the sign outside Ethan's door last night. He had hung out with girls all day and wasn't having it anymore.

Ethan has the seven-year-itch, only it has hit him early. He is six, so I thought that I would have a few more months of my baby boy wanting to hang out with me. Not the case. . . he has become Mr. Independent. He wants to take "private showers" and not hold my hand in the parking lot. I am okay with the private shower. I only peek in just to ensure that shampoo and soap are being used. As for the parking lot, we have agreed that he will walk beside me grabbing my hand on our code word. His newest test of independence has come out in public, public bathrooms that is. He refuses to use the girls' restroom with me. Why aren't there more family bathrooms around? He has taken to using the boys' bathroom on his own. Our first trials were at school and then the public library. Hey, that's semi-safe isn't it? More recently, he decided that he was going to use the restroom at Applebee's. And he had to go. I stood outside the men's restroom studying each face that went in and out. I also stuck my head in a few times. I was probably the reason other mothers wouldn't let their young son use the bathroom by themselves. I am sure that I looked a little nuts, maybe they just recognized me as a mom entering new territory. Fifteen minutes later, yes I said 15 but it felt like 115, he emerged proud of himself and his new found independence. "Yes mom, I wiped. Yes mom, I flushed. Yes mom, I washed. No mom, I didn't talk to anyone. No mom, no one talked to me." Whew! He survived and so did I. I was also proud. My baby boy is growing up even if it scares me to pieces.