Mr. Grown Up

Sometimes, Charlie appears to have a maturity level that exceeds his 6 years. It's not that he's actually that mature. It's just that he has a way of talking about grownup things in a grownup way.

For example, one morning I was getting ready to head to the airport for a flight and mentioned that I was planning to leave the house around 7:30. "What time is your flight?" asked Charlie. When I told him my flight was at 9, he responded, knowingly and approvingly: "OK. You're fine." (Which, of course, was correct.)

Another morning, Joseph asked Cort, who was headed to Galveston, whether he was flying or driving. Before Cort could answer, Charlie responded for his dad: "He'll drive. It's only like 45 minutes." (Also correct.)

When he talks about mundane things like this with such an authoritative, offhand, adult air, I can almost forget that he's just a small kid. And I can see a glimpse of the days when our kids are more like equal peers and less like subordinates that require constant supervision and guidance. As much as I don't want them to grow up yet, these little glimpses make me look forward, just a little bit, to seeing my kids as adults. I suspect they are going to be pretty great people.