Forever Young? Not So Much.

"Mom? Ya know what?" Julian says, chomping on a piece of waffle, his head swivelling as he shoots spacey looks all over the room. Then he forgets for a second that he already got my attention.

"Mom? Ya know what?" I'm nodding. "Mom?" I'm still nodding.

"Tell me, Julian."

"When I get big and finish being three years old I'm going to be the baby again."

I think about that for a second. Ah, yes. Reset. Don't we wish.

"Julian, it doesn't really work like that." I am about to drop a bomb on him, so I give him a little squeeze across the table. "You're all done being a baby."

He's shocked. I can see what he's thinking. How can that be possible? How can I be done? There were so many things I would do differently. I wouldn't have morphed into the exorcist baby all those times in the grocery store, especially when I was told I couldn't buy Goldfish. I wouldn't have been such a jerk when I got tired and then refused for hours to fall asleep. I wouldn't have hit my brother so much (well, maybe I would have). If I had a chance to go back, I would have done it all... perfectly.

"So what I'm going be after I'm three years old?" he asks me.

"You're going to be four."

His face brightens. "Then five?" I nod. "Then six, like Lucas?" I nod again. "Then seven eight nine TEN!" He's on a roll. He thinks about this progression and then gives me a pained look.

"Mom? Why it takes so long?"

He he. "Don't worry," I say to him, clearing his plate. "It will all be here and gone before you know it."

He doesn't believe me. But none of us ever believed it, did we?