Parenting Moments #2…

{I wrote this on T Bub’s birthday last week}

 

Here I am… sitting at the Water Park of America, watching my {newly} thirteen year old son. He wouldn’t be happy to know that I’m writing about him, to be sure. But this is the first time one of my kids has hit the teens, and I have to admit to being a little freaked out by that.

 

Okay… more than a little freaked out.

Why?

I just realized I’m past the halfway point. You know, the half way point of how long I get to keep him…

 

{Twenty-four hours old}

 

Although he’s already started making decisions for himself, he’s still mine until he turns eighteen. And if I had known how fast this time would fly, maybe I would have held on a little tighter…

 

{Five years old}

 

But I realize that my whole goal as a parent has been to teach him how to be an adult. MC and I have been teaching him to be responsible, thoughtful, caring… and a productive member of adult society. Together, we’re giving him the tools to be on his own one day.

 

{Nine years old}

Here’s where my heart screams: But that’s technically only five years away… And I’m not ready!

But my head knows how far he’s come: from a kindergartener that didn’t like to be touched, spent the day underneath his desk and couldn’t handle having his crayons out of order (or his Matchbox cars, or his trains), to a first grader with one loyal friend, to a nine year old who learned how to hug his grandparents (yes, learned how to hug. We worked on this for years…), to a thirteen year old that can converse with friends and not talk only about planes (or trucks or the Aerial Lift Bridge {long story}).

 

So here I am… sitting at the Water Park of America, and I can’t believe how lucky I am that I get to be this kid’s mom. And I’ll use this birthday as a reminder of how blessed I am to have been allowed on this journey with this awesome kid.

 

{Happy 13th Birthday, T Bub!}

 

Going To The Chapel…

One of my absolute favorite things is being invited to a wedding. 

There is something about listening to a couple say their marriage vows that makes me fall in love with MC all over again.  Today I feel blessed to have been invited to the wedding of two people that I didn’t get to know as friends the traditional way. 

I know them because, after meeting Bitty in soccer, this little guy took a liking to her.

By the time school started, Little A and Bitty were best friends.  By Bitty’s birthday, he was ready to propose and brought a ring pop to her party.  All through the school year, most of Bitty’s conversation involved her ‘boyfriend’ Little A.

Side note:  Turns out, Bitty doesn’t like ring pops.  So she gave it to Lovely L.  But then there was some confusion, because the kids at school told Bitty that if Lovely ate the ring pop, that Lovely L was now married to Little A.  I squashed the whole thing and said that Bitty and Little A should just remain ‘boyfriend and girlfriend’ for right now and no one should get married.

Turns out, the qualities you look for in a Kindergarten boyfriend are some of the same you’d look for in a husband:

Friendly (always has a smile for her)

Willing to share (even the marble game that doesn’t have a lot of pieces)

Like some of the same things (in this case, the love of Legos and the Lego Star Wars video game)

While I don’t know what the future holds for Bitty and Little A, I can say that I send the best of wishes to my friends as they get married tonight.  And as I watch them say their vows, I’ll squeeze a little closer to MC and reflect on how far we’ve come as a family and vow to always try to be:

Friendly (even when we’re mad at each other)

Willing to share (I promise not to eat all the pretzels or the last of the popcorn)

and

Like some of the same things (football, concerts, music and the outdoors)

 

 

To D, R, and Little A:  Congratulations in advance. I am truly and deeply happy for you three as you start your new life together!