What I Miss:
- Wet hair and feet-y pajamas
- Boys who fit on my lap
- Homemade gifts
- Bedtime stories
- Decorating Christmas cookies
- See above
What I Don’t:
- Toilet training
- (insert sport here) ________ practices, games, meets, and matches
- Cub Scout meetings
- The carpool
- Math homework
- Little boy hygiene
What I’m Still Getting Used To:
- Girls in the house
- Drivers’ licenses
- Facial hair
- Opinions on everything (expressed loudly and with great confidence)
- Big boy hygiene
The compensations:
- Girls in the house
- Drivers’ licenses
- Adult conversation
- Shared jokes
- Self-laundered clothing
- See above
♥ ♥ ♥
*Wm. Shakespeare
I loved it when my son meet his S.O. She’s the daughter I never had, actually likes to communicate, and now he checks in every once in awhile. I’m sure it’s because she reminds him I’m still kicking.
Thanks for the nice blog.
Funny! There’s also a girl in my life right now I’m particularly fond of!
Oh, man, does this resonate with me. My son is 17-years-old and has his first girlfriend. He doesn’t hang out with her that much but that’s changing as we speak. Keeps too quiet about her for my liking and I get all my intel from my daughter, who is 12, because she talks to the girlfriend if she happens to be around her. I miss the constant talking that he used to engage in when he was 10 and 11 years old. But, there are always positive things to see, right? When he does share his thoughts, we can talk together about them, and he is a fanatic about telling me the truth, even though inside I’m freaking out about it. And I’m so happy he’s a good kid. Seeing the pictures of your son just brought this to the forefront for me. Thank you for the post.
Patti
Patti, I think it’s the age. My youngest is 17, and also used to chat with me more than he does now. It goes in cycles. At a certain point, you’ll be hearing far too much for your liking!
Oh boy. Or in my case, girl. Mine is only five. She still cuddles. But I miss the baby years (don’t miss the sleeplessness). I am dreading the teen years, and trying to save up all kinds of proof that she adores me for the lonely years when she has far better stuff to engage in than conversation with mom. Sigh. Childhood is so short.
Thanks for the lovely presentation of such a universal feeling, Rosemary.
You’re very welcome. Oh, how I love age 5! Savor every moment. (And they engage in conversation with Mom far more than you’d think. Even boys.)
Rose it’s so funny that you should reflect on the little things that are so quickly forgotten when they are growing up…the wet hair and footy PJ’s…ME TOO! I would rush through the routine of bathtime to get them down for the night…and now I long to have a moment of that back! It’s so cliche that time goes by too fast, but lord does it ever! My son will be 28 this summer and I can still see him in his PJ’s with his little wet blonde head, and he smelled so good!
Thanks for that
Christi, you’re so right–all those small things we can’t get back seem so precious now, don’t they?
Thanks for coming by!
Ok you are getting me all choked up! My kids are about the ages of yours in the first pic, and I cannot imagine them all grown up! Especially my son. For some reason I can imagine my girls as teenagers (probably because they sometimes give me 16yo attitude already!) but the idea of my baby boy as a big sweaty guy in my house freaks me out…
Most hated on your don’t miss list: Math homework!
I already miss dimpled elbows. And we’re much closer to 5 than 17.
S.
Oooh–dimpled elbows. And round tummies that hang over the top of swim trunks. And fat little feet.
Sigh.
Rosemary, I saw these photos and just had to comment — what beautiful boys/young men you have! Mine is on the cusp of becoming a teen and, oh, the time is going by too fast… Thanks for the lovely post!
Marilyn,
Thanks so much for the kind words. (I actually saw a pic of both your cute boys on your blog, too!) And good luck with your teen–those years bring challenges for sure, but more rewards than we realize.
The boys look great, Ro. Lifetimes just whip past like a breeze…
Doesn’t it just?