Any chance I can keep him from growing up?

Yesterday when the kids and I went to vote Obi Wan-da and I walked while Doc Brown rode his bike.  I am a nervous wreck when my son rides his bike, or frankly when he does anything remotely dangerous (and since he's an almost 6 year old boy, that's multiple times daily).

Typically he has to ride very close to me because I didn't think he (or I) could handle getting too far ahead of me. Yesterday I let him take off.  I had to do it.  Riding slow enough to match our walking pace was too slow to stay on his bike.  The only way for him to get traction was to speed up.  (There's a metaphor if I ever saw one.)  He was so pleased with himself as he stood at the end of our driveway waiting for Obi Wan-da and I to catch up.  And I was delighted by the smile on his face.  I didn't let him see the panic I had felt as we followed him up the street because he needed to see that I was proud of him.

I'm really trying to work on my gasp reflex and I'm working even harder to allow Doc a little more independence and responsibility.  It's so difficult though because what I really want to do is keep him on the couch in his jammies so we can snuggle for the next 25 years.  But that's not going to happen because he doesn't sit still and, you know, the state would probably frown on that.

So I'll keep working on it - baby steps and all.  But I don't care how independent he gets.  I'm going to keep praying my fanny off for that boy (and his sister!).