Well it's been a while since I've sat myself down long enough to type out my feelings and experiences as a mother of two, one now a teenager and the other on the cusp of tweenhood, but life is coming at me fast and my babies are growing up even faster - I know I'd better write or I'll look back on their graduation days and wonder what happened in between!
Let's just catch up.
Jay is 13 now and in full teenage girl mode. I remember being 13 and not particularly enjoying all of the moods, feelings, and having zero control over anything my body or mind was doing, so I try hard to cut her some slack. For example, last week one morning she was getting close to her 7:45 departure time and she just suddenly got really flustered. She hated her hair, thought she looked ugly (never), didn't finish all of her many hours of homework (really teachers?), didn't have time for breakfast, didn't have the jacket she wanted to wear at the ready and then here I come demanding she wear real shoes, not flip-flops, on a 50 degree day. It was one of those mornings. Somehow she pulled it together and got to her ride and went off into her school day.
Honestly, I was irritated with her because a) it doesn't take ALL MORNING to get dressed for school, b) I can help you if you ASK me, but I don't read minds, c) who wears flip-flops to school when the morning's temp is barely above freezing? Not my kids. I watched the tornado that was my daughter blow up the stairs, down, then back up again. After a few hours that day, I sent her a text that read simply, "I hope you're having a great day. I love you." Her reply was, "I love you too." That, I suppose, meant her day wasn't so 'great'.
Then there's my baby boy, Nas, who is 9 1/2 years old already and is all boy. So far the issue I have with him most is that if he doesn't get enough sleep, forget about it. He's mean as the day is long without ample rest - much like his mother. On such days he's snapping at his sister, doesn't want to be told what to do in any way, and will have a meltdown as bedtime nears. Nas would rather NOT shower if he can avoid it - read: if Mom/Dad didn't tell me to, I'm not showering. And he's become a tad particular about what he wears. We have a LOT of personalities in this house.
Nas can be found playing with his mini basketball on his mini hoop which has found its home in our master bedroom most of the time. If not, he's out playing with his friends from school. Too often Nas will be playing blocks away from home (I know, the horror!) and I have no idea where he is. Or he and his friend Caleb will be walking on the path behind our houses, hanging out at the gazebo, unbeknownst to me. Caleb has a phone, but sometimes is awful about answering it or responding to texts. Nas doesn't have a phone, he likely would be the same way so why bother?! That's probably his second worst offense, not communicating his whereabouts before he goes here there and everywhere. He's NINE years old - he thinks he's 15 it seems, so I have to remind him often that I still have to know where he is at all times.
My kids are tall, so they probably appear older to those who don't know them, but I KNOW how old they are and I feel like protecting them has gotten far more complicated as they've gotten older. I am sure it just gets worse over time...but I'm in it for the long haul. I figure, God's got these babies. I just do my part and keep praying He will fill in the massive gaps!
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