What's that word -- "verkempt...verklemp"? Anyway, I'm that.

[Doran]

First of all, I've been listening to a cd of a musical production my dd's and I were part of last spring. A year ago this time, we were thick into rehearsals with a show coming in May. It was the first time we'd had a chance to participate in any kind of performance as a family, and it was a wonderful experience. Listening to the music made me nostalgic for that.

Then, our recently turned 11 year old, our youngest of two kids, made a comment today about the "dreaded eleven". When I asked for clarification she said, "I don't want to be eleven. I want to be ten. I want to stay ten."

I understand that her place as the baby of the family is her advantage. The cuteness factor, the littlest factor, all that. But, it was touching to hear her state something like that outright. Because, honestly, I wish I could have her stay little. Somehow the oldest seems to fit into the older shoes, it suits her, or I expect it to suit her, so it does. And little? Little suits the youngest. She's the one who still crawls into my lap most often. She's the one who hasn't got the b**bs, or the raging hormones (they're rumbling though, for sure), nor the "cares and woes" of the older child. I'm sure she knows the truth about Santa and the Tooth Fairy (gasp!), but she really wants to hold onto those. It's so endearing it just makes me want to go "Awwwwwww!"

So, yeah. I'm all wumpy...I'm all nostalgic...I'm a middle aged puddle. Those of you having days where you think you'll be grateful to see the end of the snotty noses, the crusty sippy cups, the diapers, the wet beds, the toys all over the house...don't blink. It will all be gone in just a few turns of the earth around the sun.

Doran

[Colleen]

I hear you, friend. I was nearly a puddle this morning, holding my dear friend's wee new one. I insist to first one and then another of my younger boys that they aren't allowed to grow up. Yesterday I had the rare treat of spending time with just one of my boys ~ my middle child. He turned 8 late last month and I just want to stop the clock and keep him here. A few turns of the earth around the sun, indeed...

[3lilreds in NC]

My girls are going to be 7 and 8 next month and I just can't believe it.

Schmooey is already rolling around on the floor and trying very hard to keep getting bigger. I thought God and I had a deal that he would stay little longer than the other two but apparently that was all in my head. Drat.

I love the people they're becoming.... but I sure do miss those itty bits sometimes.

[ELaurie]

Aww. Colleen. Now I'm verklempt . . .

[*anj*]

Stop it, stop it now. I used up all my tears last week when I had my period, now don't make me dredge up more. :(

(I have a 6 year old who is and always will be the baby. He's small for his age, has a cute little voice, and a speech impediment that I know we have to do something about, but it adds to his cuteness. How pathetic is that?)

[Amy in Orlando]

Just wait! I have a son who went to bed tonight all gung-ho because I have to go to the post office, the grocery store and the bank tomorrow. Why is he so excited? Because he's driving me there. Gaahhh.

This is the same son that (I swear) just a blink ago used to say cute things like "Take me a bath," or when he saw my mom would say "Hi Bing. Happy to see me." Yep. Just a blink.

Now he shaves and wants to drive my car.

[JudoMom]

Friday night when my middle ds decided he could, indeed, sleep in his own bed.

He started sleeping with us when he was 2, when his arthritis started and he was waking up several times a night in pain. He's 5.5 now, and he had the sweetest little routine developed. We would read our own books, and as soon as I'd take off my glasses, he'd hand me his. As I turned out the lamp, he would smile, flip to his tummy, and ask me to scratch his back (his spine tends to hurt, so I've been rubbing up and down his spine for years to calm him down). If he happened to get tired before I wanted to stop reading, he would hand me his glasses and ask "Could you hold me, please?" and cuddle up with me until he fell asleep or until I stopped reading, at which point he'd flip over and ask me to scratch his back.

I've known he'd be going to his own bed soon. I've been talking to him about it, because the rational part of me knows it's time. But it's such a sure sign that he's growing up. And if he's growing up, they are all growing up.

And I'm not ready. I'm having a hard enough time accepting the fact one of my babies doesn't need me to rub his back until he falls asleep anymore, and then I come here and read things like "shave" and "drive" and it's time to go cry.

Verklempt, indeed.

[Karenciavo]

(I have a 6 year old who is and always will be the baby. He's small for his age, has a cute little voice, and a speech impediment that I know we have to do something about, but it adds to his cuteness. How pathetic is that?)

Shocking! :p

I hear you. I was playing with my new version of iMovie over the weekend and was editing video from 2001, when my ds who is turning 13 on March 2nd was 6 yo, and I was oohing and aahhing over his cute little voice and speech impediment. He was just embarrassed. :o

Fortunately NJ has a higher age requirement for driving or I'd be in Amy's shoes soon too.

The older I get the more time flies. Paul Janet, a French philosopher and writer, suggested that, “the apparent length of an interval at a given epoch of a man’s life is proportional to the total length of the life itself. A child of 10 feels a year as 1/10 of his whole life – a man of 50 as 1/50, the whole life meanwhile apparently preserving a constant length.” Yup.

[*anj*]

:D I had a feeling I wasn't the only one who was like that!

Oh, and thanks for that quote. I love it. I may have to print it out!


Shocking! :p

I hear you. I was playing with my new version of iMovie over the weekend and was editing video from 2001, when my ds who is turning 13 on March 2nd was 6 yo, and I was oohing and aahhing over his cute little voice and speech impediment. He was just embarrassed. :o

Fortunately NJ has a higher age requirement for driving or I'd be in Amy's shoes soon too.

The older I get the more time flies. Paul Janet, a French philosopher and writer, suggested that, “the apparent length of an interval at a given epoch of a man’s life is proportional to the total length of the life itself. A child of 10 feels a year as 1/10 of his whole life – a man of 50 as 1/50, the whole life meanwhile apparently preserving a constant length.” Yup.

[Doran]

...Paul Janet, a French philosopher and writer, suggested that, “the apparent length of an interval at a given epoch of a man’s life is proportional to the total length of the life itself. A child of 10 feels a year as 1/10 of his whole life – a man of 50 as 1/50, the whole life meanwhile apparently preserving a constant length.”

Thank you for sharing this, Karen!

Doran