The little Transformer named Joey

This was our son this morning as his imagination overran reason when he decided to be a “Transformer” instead of our son. Ever since seeing this movie, which is a throw-back to a childhood cartoon series from the 80’s, he has been fascinated with pretending to be and playing with Transformers. His mother even went out and purchased a 4 year-old appropriate version of Optimus Prime. Many hours have been spent with Joey convincing Jessamyn to also be a Transformer as they do battle against unseen evils that transcend all echelons of our house.

It should come as no surprise that he woke before dawn this morning, went down to his playroom and found several colored markesr and decided to self-decorate himself into something visibly approaching a robot, or so he thought. Blurry eyed parents were not so sure what they were dealing with when he arrived at our pre-dawn bedside with a low-toned voice announcing “Mom! Mom! I’m Optimus Prime!”

The signs that we are now living with a creature that is all too rapidly approaching adulthood seem to abound daily in not only his actions, but in questions and realizations that he is making.

The other day, Jenny passed a funeral procession during which Joey asked why they have a purple flashing light. She explained that this denoted that someone had died and they were on their way to be buried and that people were probably very sad. At dinner that night, Joey relayed the whole learning experience to me as “Dad, when you die, this car comes and takes you away with a purple light. And people will be very sad!”

Yesterday, he asked “Are there witches in this world? Are there dragons in this world?” And I’m sure all too soon will come the dreaded Santa Claus and Easter Bunny questions at this rate.

His strong will within his personality is now starting to take a rather ragged hold of his fashion senses as he now likes to pick his outfits and dress himself. Although not the fashion statement I would have made, he decided to wear a surf board shirt, green tie, and baseball cap and he was very admit about this particular concoction disregarding all suggestions from his mother that he should reconsider certain elements. Some days he will allow compromise and settle for being able to wear something that he likes underneath whatever we want him to wear to school, like his Power Ranger tank top (although he’d like to, I’m not sure the school would like him just showing up dressed with just it), or his superman tank and underwear set that I came home to the other day as his mother was flying him about the kitchen.

Thankfully he has not decided to wear his ‘Tarzan’ outfit to school or try become the vine jumping character while in the classroom (note: this is where Joey takes off all his clothes save his underwear which he wears around his knees).

I am still proud of him for having no ego or attitude that would prejude his playful and meek temperament, thankfully. He is still the honest and transparent person we’ve had for five years now. Brutally honest at times too, as yesterday Jenny rushed to get the family ready before calling the doctor’s office (they sometimes give her an immediate appointment that barely gives her enough time to drive there let alone ready three kids plus herself) she had opted for a hair style that pulled back into a pony tail (something not visually stimulating given her current “Hairspray”-esque design) and was immediately informed that Joey didn’t like it. Later, she spent time getting herself ready as the assistant at the pediatrician’s office had graced her with a couple hours lead time, and was informed “Much better Mom!”

This fortitude comes in the middle of family planning, collage saving payments, schooling decisions, and vacation decisions roll around our minds like a tornado ripping through trailer park. We are so busy trying to drive the ship of our lives while Joey refuses to just be a passenger content to sit in a seat staring out the window. He forces himself front and center with a child’s barrage of intellectual questions that reinforce his parent’s self-realizations of their responsibilities towards his edification, and rightly he should.

We need the reminder. We need the redirection.

We really need him as we do all our children to help us to devise our futures.

Our very existence is pivoting on them as they are our focal points. They are our immortality. They exist as appendages of our heritage and will forever link our two intertwined lives as one.

jp