I wish I had a shrinking potion...

Stella looks up at me, and with a huge smile spread out on her little face, like peanut butter spread onto bread, smooth, wholesome, and a little bit nutty, she says to me quite matter-of-factly "Mommy, I wish I had a shrinking potion. I would take it so that I could stay six forever. Or maybe, (thoughtful pause) I would give it to YOU and you can shrink down and be six with me, and we could play together!". While I would love to keep my little Stella six years old forever, I would love even more, the opportunity to be her playmate for a day, and to see the world from her perspective, everything shiny, new, and hopeful. How priceless to have that carefree, optimistic view of the world. You can be giving, innocent, self-centered, and temperamental all in one moment. I sometimes forget what it's like to see the world from my kids' perspectives. Every little detail is different for them. The rambunctious dog that licks my hand and stands at knee level, is to my younger kids, a great, drooling behemoth, with a tail like Indiana Jones' whip. The tiny twin sized beds that I squish into at story time before bed, are to them, giant, puffy, quilt filled clouds, with enough extra room for an entire nation of stuffed friends and dolls, and the top bunk may as well be the Empire State building! I love watching them sing at the highest decibel in a room full of people, without the slightest care. I watch my youngest run outside to great the UPS man in a backwards bib that he has deemed "his cape", Star Wars Underoos, and knee high winter boots. He sees nothing wrong with this, in fact, he is downright proud to show off his fantastic ensemble! He will happily ride his sister's pink scooter in front of the neighbor boys without thinking twice about it. I love to watch Stella giggle at her wild, insane curls first thing in the morning, and smile in amazement when her pancakes are in the shape of hearts, or Mickey Mouse. She looks at the old, wild-haired, worn out doll that her Great Grandma gave her, and she thinks it's the most beautiful thing she has ever seen. They don't ask much of me, but in return they give me so much, and show me a world where anything is possible... even shrinking potion.