Childhood Skill Set

My eyes are burning, but my coffee is good.
I'm wearing my favorite holey jeans.  The ones kids point out to their parents,
"Look Mom, her pants have REALLY BIG holes in them!"
Sometimes they ask me,
"Why?"
To which I respond,
"These are my summer pants.  It's air conditioning."
They giggle, and think I'm a funny kind of Grown-up.

Sophie is always giving me sideways smirks when we drive in the car.
I have a habit of flaring into song in strange accents, or waggling my finger at a glowing sunset.
She isn't quite sure I am an adult at all.

My theory is:  none of us are actually adults.
We each have certain skill sets.  Some appear more Grown-up than others.
However I believe a Grown-up is simply that - a certain skill set.
It just so happens that I have retained a lot of my childhood skill set, because I find it useful.

Here a few of my skills:

I laugh when I get hurt   (also when others get hurt, which isn't always a skill)

I climb anything and everything I can.  The first thought to enter my mind is often:
        "I bet I could climb that."

I share my toys, even the really cool ones.  I do this because I know it is more fun to have a friend to play with, then to hoard all the stuff.

I have play dates all the time.  Kids are better when they move in a pack.

I am quick to forgive and move on.  Holding a grudge brings me down, and like I said.  I want to climb stuff.

I am amazed and delighted by the little things.  I will go to the pet store just to look at the fish.

I like to draw pictures, write stories, and sing songs.  a skill set often lost by "adults"

I understand that a couch can also act as a trampoline, fort, or a battle ship.

I wear Vans tennis shoes cuz they are the best for doing tricks.

I can still do: hand-stands, cartwheels, and back-bends.  I can climb trees, and cross the monkey bars.   I can also swim like a mermaid.

I cry when I get hurt.  Have you ever noticed how kids let events flow through them? I just watched Pepper get scratched by our new kitten, Tank.  She cried because it hurt.  She was devastated...for 3 minutes.  Now she is petting him and watching Tarzan.

I may be guilty of encouraging this kind of behavior.