From the pull-down menu on the website I’m visiting, I click on “Kid Ages.” I glance quickly in a downward motion and scan the words,
Babies
Toddlers
Pre-schoolers
Elementary Aged
Tweens
and Teens, I stop there. I don’t want to go any further.
Let’s just pause here for a moment.
I have two teenagers who will be 15 this weekend. How could we have whipped through all of those stages so quickly? Of course when I was living it daily, a lot of those years blended together in my midlife mayhem of a mind.
The Elementary school years seemed to drag on forever. I must have sharpened thousands of pencils, purchased tons of markers, tissues and Germ-ex for the classroom and attended a bunch of parent-teacher meetings that kept me un-nerved for years on end. Then there was the 5th grade math that zipped right over my head.
Middle school… passed by, in just the blink of an eye.
Then over the Summer something happened. The kids grew up. They went into their rooms at the end of middle school as kids, and emerged at the end of the Summer as young adults, with opinions, boy-crushes, and attitudes and voracious appetites!
So here they are, whoosh…… freshman in high school. And so far…. I am enjoying the hell out it. I know what you’re thinking, they haven’t even begun to drive yet, (just wait), date, ask for bail money, or pull an all-nighter. Of course we have our days where we argue, and I worry about their safety in this world. I am constantly reminded of just how fragile life is. They have so much more life to experience, and I plan to be here for both of them, each and every step of the way.
At the end of the day when we are all exhausted, and they say, “Goodnight MOM,” my heart just melts. Those two little words remind me of how lucky I am to be their Mom.
Some may be thinking, is she crazy? Yes, of course I am, but so far the teen years have been my favorite. They are vibrant young adults, and I love to hear about their plans for the future, the laughter as they bond as siblings, the sharp-witted comments, and especially the hugs!
So this weekend, I’ll decorate for the big birthday celebration, wrap gifts, light candles on the cake and hold close to my heart how lucky I am to have these two beautiful young people, one boy and one girl, in my life.
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