. . . when I get older

Squish has realized that if he adds "when I get older" as a suffix to any request, he is far more likely to hear a "yes" than a "no."

"Can I drink coffee when I get older?"

• Sure!

"Can I have a truck when I get older?"

• Sounds good - why not? 

"Can I drive a motorcycle when I get older?"

• Well, ultimately, this will be your choice to make when you are older . . . [Bug usually chimes in with a question about when exactly he can ride a motorcycle.  When he's 16?  When he's 17?] . . . when you are about thirty, you can decide for yourself if you would like to ride on a motorcycle with a helmet even though you understand how risky it is to ride a motorcycle.

This week, I was telling the boys that I needed to fly away on a work trip, and that they would have a  "boy party" with my husband until Wednesday when I picked them up from school in the afternoon.

Bug: "That sounds exciting."

Me: "Oh really?  Oh that's good!  Yes, it will be exciting and so fun to have your boy party with Daddy.  [Technically, it will make me very sad, but I will follow your lead on this one and pretend that it is going to be a very exciting time for us.]"

Squish: "Can I go on the plane with you when I get older?"

Me: "Of course!  That would be so great! [So, so great.  I wish I could take you now, but it is hard for me to imagine what would I do with a two-year-old in a room full of board members and corporate governance experts.  When you're eight maybe?  But then where will you go?  Not in the meetings with me.  So I guess [my husband] will have to come, too.  But I can't imagine he will want to do that.  This feels very complicated.]

Bug: "Yeah!  Can I go when I get older, too?  Like when I'm six and a half?"

Me: "Sure!  [At this point, I felt all the awful feelings.  All of them.  The pre-guilt for leaving.  Also some crazy version of pre-pre-guilt for a fake future of work trips even though I am pretty sure they will not remember a single word of this conversation or hold me to it.]

That was a few days ago.

Now I am home and don't travel again until early September.  When I get older.