St. Parker's Day, 6

The Dude is now 6.
Yesterday, we celebrated St. Parker’s Day, the famed celebration of the Patron Saint of Being Born on St. Patrick’s Day.
So, I offer these few Parker tidbits:
• We had our annual breakfast tradition of Waffle House before school. There is no better way to start the day than a waffle and a Cherry Coke.
• His favorite song in the world is the “Boom De Ya Da” commercial for Discovery Channel. If you have not seen it, YouTube it. I challenge you not to feel a little better after seeing it.
• His second favorite song is a commercial for a video game, a song that offers the chorus of, “Oh Know You Didn’t!” My sister finds it less than delightful that Parker has taught his 2-year-old cousin to sing this. In the middle of Wal-Mart.
• Parker blazes his own fashion trail. At this age, I see no problem letting kids dress themselves and set their own style, as there is little chance of being labeled “That Kid” for the way you dress. Of course, I may be labeled “That Parent,” in particular “That Parent Without A Hairbrush for His Child.”
• He’s the bug-huntingest dude you will ever meet. Case in point: The other day, at my parents’ house, he asked for me to come up with a scavenger hunt list for him. One of the things I put on the list was a bessie bug. It took him roughly eight seconds to produce one. He would have rocked on “Let’s Make a Deal.”
• He is very much a little brother. I try to explain this to his sister. At one point, I said, “Allie, ask your aunts what I was like when I was a kid. I was the same way.” She seemed shocked by this. “You were ... mean to them?” I explained to her that “mean” was a kind term for what little brothers can be, and that the best defense is a locked door.
• But he also looks up to his big sister. One of the best sounds in the world is on a Saturday morning when the kids wake up, and Parker heads into Allie’s room with a book, asking her to read to him. (The following sounds are then either additionally sweet or tragically screeching, based on her decision on whether to read.)
• He’s a momma’s boy sometimes, and that’s OK. Sometimes, when you skin a knee or someone hurts your feelings, you need your momma.
• But he’s a tough dude, too. The other day, he came home from school with a note explaining the enormous knot on his head (he and a classmate bonked; she won). For the next few days, Parker made sure his hair did not cover up the nasty bruise on his forehead. Always show off the cool stuff.
• Gotta love his imagination. The other day, we were playing pirate in the den. He had brought his pirate ship downstairs, along with a few toys. How did it end? Jack Sparrow drove Clark Kent’s Daily Planet truck onto the ship and then used a lightsaber to catch a pterodactyl. Top that ending, Disney!
• He clearly differentiates between good and evil. Whenever he sees a Star Wars character, he asks, “Daddy, is he a good guy or bad guy?” He is not grasping the gray area of “bad but awesome,” known as the Boba Fett exception.
• I still get a chuckle when he shares his favorite snack with Grandpa – pickled herring. Not many kids knock back a jar of pickled herring on a regular basis. At least not non-Viking children.

I’m looking forward to year 7, which will include milestones such as starting first grade, losing teeth, painting the dog (just a hunch). I certainly hope it will be a good year, and it will be exciting to see him grow up. Of course, you always hope a part of him stays a kid. After all, somebody’s gotta catch the pterodactyls.