Mario has been dreaming to go out on his own the past few nights.  This has been an ongoing desire over the last few months that has manifested itself with admonishments from him to me whenever I get too close to him.  At the library, he went up to the second floor by himself to look at Wii games.  I followed him stealthily so that he would not see me.  I watched him look at the Wii games and then head over to the counter to ask the librarian whether they had the Rise of the Guardians Wii game.  She was having trouble understanding him so I butted in to clarify.  Mistake.  Mario became irate and embarrassed.  “Mom, I told you I would do it myself.  You are so embarrassing! Go away!”

Last night, we were drawing pictures, and Mario asked Maria how to spell “I’m Going Somewhere.” He then walked over to me and gave me the picture.  I couldn’t read it at first and then I got it.  I asked “you are going somewhere? Where?”  Mario’s response: “Don’t know yet but I will figure it out. I will wait until tomorrow.”

Tonight, he asked Maria to go upstairs with him.  Ri ran back downstairs and breezed past me. I asked her what she was doing and she quickly replied “Getting some cool shoes for Mario.” They both came back down ten minutes later and Mario looked too cool for school with his double layered oxford shirts, new jeans and sweet man-watch on his wrist.  Maria grabbed the body crayons and drew tattoos on his arms.

“I’m heading out tonight, mom.”

“Where you going?”

“I may got to the bank and then I may just take a walk.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, I am not going to any girls’ houses but I may not be home until tomorrow.”

Jon told him that he was free to go (the mom in me could not let him leave even though I knew Jon would sneak out and watch over him).  Mario put on his coat and hat and gloves and he said goodbye to Ri.  Ri bawled and begged him not to go because he could be stolen by someone in the night.  He told her he’d be fine.

He walked out the door and stood on the porch in the 15 degree cold.  He looked back at me.  He walked back to the door.

“Mom, will the police stop me if they see me?”

“Yeah, they won’t let you walk by yourself until you are fifteen.”

He walked back out on the porch. He stood on the step for a minute.  I stepped back so he would not see me.

He walked back to the door and peeked inside.

“Mom?”

“Did you decide to come back to your mama and sis?!”

“Yes, I will come back just because the police are out. I will go out later when the police get off work.”

I agreed knowing that Jon would explain to him that the police never get off of work.  I am sure he will think of some other way to get out of the house in the next few days.  Probably use a disguise or something.  He is jonesin’ to get out on his own at age 5.  Ri, on the other hand, is perfectly content with me following her everywhere and has no desire to leave the roost.  I imagine that will change when she hits her pre-teen years especially with her brother’s influence.