Another First Day

As I sit here listening to the dogs wrestle in the other room I am reminded of a time when the sounds from the other room belonged to my children. The quiet play or the noisy rough housing seemed to be a never ending phase at my house. I will even admit to wishing they would hurry and get past the bickering-over-every-dang-thing phase. Now in the quiet I am reflecting back on the things I thought I would never miss. The night time rituals, the constant noise, the sticky hands. Even grocery shopping with my kids was a HUGE event. They would bicker and rant and beg and annoy until I wanted to pull my hair out. After every trip I would vow that there would never be another. Until the day came that it wasn't torture. It was actually a good time for talking. I'm not sure if all of you know this....but kids... especially pre-teens and teenagers talk more freely with their parents when the kids are semi-focused on something else. Like grocery shopping, for example. My kids and I have covered every topic from menstruation to sex to school and almost every other touchy subject you can think of in some form of grocery store or other. After Kevin graduated from high school, I would schedule my shopping trips around his classes. Some great conversations with my now grown (hard for me to admit that) son have taken place over the last year....in a Wal-Mart. One thing that I have never wished away or hated at all is our yearly "Back to School" photo. Somewhere in the pre-teen years each of them has expressed their displeasure toward this ritual...but I have persevered. I have some nice photos measuring their growth and physical changes from year to year. But this year I only had one photo to take. I think she looks older that her almost 16 years. That. scares. me. to. death. So here she is in all her 10th grade glory. Ready to be filled with the knowledge and wisdom that time and experience (and public school) offers. Here's to you my last born. Just don't fly off too fast.