Earlier this week I got the opportunity to volunteer at the boys' middle school. Talk about weird. I know I have 11 year old boys in the 6th grade, but really, when did THAT happen? I'm not old enough to have kids in middle school because as memory serves me correctly, I vividly remember my OWN middle school days like they were yesterday. Surely it's not time for me to be volunteering in a middle school.
Then again, as quickly as the days are flying by, I have to face reality. My kids are in middle school. AND I'm old enough to have them too. I guess that's where the whole 'you're only as old as you feel' phrase comes from. You know, because when I was in middle school, all my friends' parents were, well, you know, OLD! I'm sure not ready to be put in that category! It did make me feel better that the three other moms that were volunteering with me were indeed older than me. It's the small things that make me happy.
(interrupting to say that my mom is so sweet. Laurel broke Luke's talking Woody doll today and so my mom offered to get him a new one because she knows how much Luke liked his Woody doll. She just came over to make sure she found the right one. The greatest mom ever.)
It made my heart smile that the boys weren't embarrassed to come over and say hi to me while I was at the school. And they couldn't even be covert about it since we were selling 'BooGrams' and were up on a stage in the cafeteria, in front of everyone eating! Of course there was the small fact that I had their lunches since they had forgotten them at home that morning, so they kind of HAD to come over. But the hugs were extra and weren't a requirement to get their food, so those made me really smile. I hope the days of 'mom, you're embarrassing me' are way far off in the distance.
The other thing I realized during my volunteer experience........middle schoolers are huge kids. Especially the 8th graders. I had to walk through a whole bunch of them during lunch as I left and OH-MY-HECK I think 90% of them were at least 6 inches taller than me. (of course, at 5'3", lots of folks are taller than me) Talk about intimidating, and I'm even old enough to be their mother-a fact that I've already established. The girls are so tall and very well developed, some of the boys looked like they hadn't shaved in over a day, girls with lots of makeup...yikes! It makes my heart ache for my boys 1st grade year all over again. Turn back the clock or at least make it stop where it's at. At the rate things are going they'll be in high school in a couple weeks. I'm pretty sure I have finally reached the part of parenthood that I'm not ready for. The whole 'blink of an eye' part.
I think I'm going to go find me some toothpicks and practice sleeping with my eyes open. Maybe if I don't blink........
2 comments:
That whole not blinking thing - it won't work. How on earth do I have a high school junior who has a job and drives? Before you know it we'll be grandmas ourselves - very young, hip grandmas! Happy blinking!
It is amazing how fast it goes. I just saw Charlotte's schoolbag and sweatshirt tossed over a chair and thought, "wait. She is my baby. How is it she is going to school already?"
Oh, the dipped pretzels you asked about... I use one of those tall coffee mugs to put the melted chocolate in.
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