Puff the Magic Dragon

The boys had been waiting all week for last night.  It was a dinner at Mimi and Papa's night.

We headed up after Owen's nap with Parker J. and auntie in tow.

We had spaghetti in the backyard.

Followed by a bath and then ice cream in our jams by the fire.

Perfect summer night!

{I need a pedicure}

The night was extra special because Mimi and Papa had friends visiting from Canada for the week and John (their friend) treated us to a backyard concert by the fire.

The boys rocked out with him.  It was a regular jam sesh. 

One of the songs he played by request was 'Puff the Magic Dragon'.  We've all heard and can sing along.  Apparently its been a while since I've heard it or I've never really listened to the lyrics beyond the first verse because its the worst song ever written.  I could have titled this post 'the night I turned into my mom' because by the end of the song I was bawling.  RIDICULOUS.  Incase you are not familiar with the lyrics I give the worst, most tear jerking ones:

A dragon lives forever but not so little boys 
Painted wings and giant rings make way for other toys. 
One grey night it happened, Jackie paper came no more 
And puff that mighty dragon, he ceased his fearless roar. 

His head was bent in sorrow, green scales fell like rain, 
Puff no longer went to play along the cherry lane. 
Without his life-long friend, puff could not be brave, 
So puff that mighty dragon sadly slipped into his cave. 

Now you can share in my misery.

In that moment I just wanted to freeze time.

Its been so long since 'Puff' for me that all I remembered was a fun childish cartoon.  I had forgotten it was a metaphor for all things childhood boy, innocence and imagination. 

I imagined the boys growing up so quickly, right before my eyes, school, sports, sleepovers, cars, dates, graduation.  No more dragon.  Oh the waterworks.

There is that quote you see floating around everywhere "Let Them Be Little".  I just want the "little" to last a little longer.  I want my boys to hold onto their dragons (and sword fights and pirates....) a little longer.  I suppose all moms can relate to this...I suppose all moms are, in a way, the dragons in this story.