Baby Bear to Goldilocks...

As I've told you all before, adapting to the parenting lifestyle in Alaska as opposed to California has been quite a difficult transition for me. I have come to the conclusion that you can take the mom out of California, but you can't take California out of the mom. We went from living in a state where many parents are paranoid about child predators, to a state where parents are still paranoed about child predators, only the predators that they worry about here are moose and bears.

As our kids get older, in the name of independence, I have slowly been letting go and have been letting the kids venture a little beyond my personal comfort zone. The "letting go" is gradual though and I don't think we have ridiculous rules or restrictions for our children in the first place. I'll admit that I just can't find it within me to drop my 10 year old son off at the movies without an adult we know somewhere in the building. I know there will be a time very soon when dropping off will be a reality for me, but I'm not there yet. Maybe when Logan is 12 or 13, but not at 10. He still can't even remember our new phone number and address, SCARY!!!!

Although I won't drop Logan off at the movies, I have decided that it's time to allow Kaiden to wander up to the neighborhood park unattended on occassion. I can, after all, see the park from my kitchen window and could actually yell at or run to him very quickly if he was in danger. Regardless, letting him go up there alone is still out of my comfort zone. In an attempt to give myself a little more "control" with the situation, and a false sense of security, I have decided that if Kaiden and I use walkie talkies while he is at the park he can easily call me if there is danger (a moose, a bear, an accident, or a yucky person).

Considering that Kaiden is fairly paranoid by nature, he's okay with the whole walkie talkie idea. The first time he went to the park with friends we turned on the walkie talkies, talked about how to use them, and he was on his way. I figured I would keep my eye on hime while he was playing and I wouldn't hear from him again until he came back home. Well, I was wrong! He was just steps away from the house when over the speaker I hear..."Baby Bear to Goldilocks, come in Goldilocks, do you read me?" I about fell on the floor laughing! Where does that kid come up with these things? So now, on the occasion Kaiden wants to play at the park he knows the drill. He grabs the walkie talkie, walks out the door, and does a radio check, "Baby Bear to Goldilocks..."

If you can believe it, by all accounts, Kaiden is our more "difficult" child. He is also our more "unique" child and as such, he provides us with as much laughter as he does grief. As you can tell from the stories I share, I am grateful for his quirkiness even though he gives us a run for our money. I think my parents call it "pay back".