Life's Realities

It all started with Paul watching and becoming obsessed with Toy Story. He loves to fly around like Buzz Lightyear (saying "to infinity and beyond" as well). So I made him some cardboard wings out of a diaper box. He was thrilled and went outside to try them out. After jumping and running a bit he looked back at me in disappointed surprise. "Mommy, my wings don't work. I can't fly like Buzz." The poor kid thought he was actually going to be able to fly. It took some convincing that he is a boy, not a bird or an airplane and jumping off the lamppost or table will not help him fly. Jeremy has been trying to tell him that Buzz doesn't actually fly either. He remains unconvinced. I told him Buzz just falls with the wind. His response: "No, Mommy. Buzz is in the bedroom. There's no wind in there."
I also broke down and bought him a skateboard, which he has been asking for almost a year. (But what "good" mother buys her 2-year-old a skateboard, seriously?) I saw a plastic one made for little kids at Shopko and since we've been cleaning out (and getting rid of) toys, I thought he could have it. He was sadly let down when the skateboard didn't "go by itself" or roll very smoothly on it's own. He still practices his tricks with it though and it slept a couple nights in his bed and took a trip to Grandma and Grandpa's. One day when he's grown-up (even though he insists that he is 5 now--"I had a party and grew up") he can have a real one.
Today was national Take Your Kid to Work Day. Jeremy was super excited. He woke Paul up at 6:30, had him take a shower and get dressed up and go to work with him for about an hour. Paul did pretty well and sat through one exam. Although the bus ride lived up to all he expected, he did want to stay the whole day with Daddy.
Oh, little Paul, you'll be grown-up soon enough...