Last Thursday Owen jumped off the bus and ran across the yard to talk to me. It went pretty much like this:
Owen: Maddie M. said I'm her boyfriend, she loves me, and we are getting married.
Me (stopping the lawnmower, trying not to laugh and 100% curious): Um, how did this come up in conversation?
Owen: Well, she asked me to walk over to the trees on the side of the playground and she, you know, just told me.
Me: And what did you say?
Owen: I told her I had to ask you if it was okay first.
Me: Which part- the I love you, boyfriend, or marriage part?
Owen: All of it.
Good answer, Owen! I then went on ask if he returned her affections and was told girls are "gross and smell bad." I asked if she was pretty, and he rolled his eyes and said she was "disgusting." Then his little face turned the sweetest shade of pink. That with his denial was a sure sign if any he's got a crush.
The whole thing got me thinking- when do we start realizing the other sex is, well, attractive? Why does he think Maddie M. is cute? (By the way, she is a very pretty girl and, having been in her proximity, does not smell!) Why not the other girls in his class? And why the heck is a six year old talking love and marriage to my son?! If they are having conversations like this now, what are they going to be discussing in first grade? Potential baby names, kinds of cars, and where to buy a house are on the list, no doubt! All joking aside, I hope that Owen and Gav both steer clear of the whole boyfriend/girlfriend debacle for at least another ten years. After all, why get into a relationship with someone who is disgusting and smells bad? Hold out, Owen, hold out. Wait for the girl that doesn't smell and isn't gross.
