Tidbits. . This, That, and the Other. . .

Some days. . . are just hard. . .  Whether you just do not get enough sleep or you hit unbelievable traffic trying to get to work, or the pesky migraine that makes the most mundane task next to impossible.  Yes, it was one of those days last night.  I worked night shift last night and it was a busy night shift.  When I woke up this afternoon Sprat was just coming in, he had been to work out at the gym and gone to get his hair cut.  He looked so handsome, he came in the kitchen where I was trying to find caffeine for the migraine that followed me home from work, he said, "you up now?"  I nodded groggily.  He sat on the couch shopping for his text books for next semester.  He is home for a few more days and then back to school.  He has a busy semester, with lacrosse season and his classes he will be taking in his major and a new "girlfriend."  See how I used quotes around the girlfriend, they just realized that they liked each other three days before leaving for Christmas break, she is now in England doing a week abroad for school.  He is not calling her a girlfriend at this point or at least that is the story I am told.
Every now and then you see glimpses through your kids that you did a good job raising them.  Remember I said every now and then sometimes it takes longer to see.  I got to go to breakfast with Sprat the other day, that is kind of our thing.  We go to breakfast and talk about whatever is going on with him.  I found out the story behind the last girl that he was interested in, it turns out there was an old boyfriend that she had feelings for.  When the old boyfriend finally gave her the brush off she came back to my sweet Sprat to say she could go out with him now.  This was a proud mama moment, when the hussy came crawling back because the old boyfriend did not want her, my very sweet boy told her he was nobody's second choice.   My heart was a little broken for him but at the same time I was so very proud that he stood up for his heart that he was confident enough in himself to tell her to keep walking.   The new girl has been in a few of his classes this past semester so they have been hanging out as friends. I am a firm believer in being friends first and everything else will fall in to place, that is how the hubbs and I got together.  We worked together and hung out as friends before we started dating. 
Made our plans to go visit Sprat later in the Lax season, I am so excited to see him play in his first real college lacrosse game.  He did not get a true season last year and in fact since his school closed last year they gave him his year of eligibility back so he could play in his year of his Masters if he wants to. 

Things are Changing. . .

We sold Big T's bunk beds and  went bed shopping for him yesterday.  The hubbs and I delivered the bunk beds on Saturday morning and Big T will be riding the sofa in the mean time.  We found a really nice bed with a dresser and mirror.  Sprat got a new bed when he moved into what use to be the playroom from this same place.  We also got our double recliner a couple years ago from them.  They have a wide variety of furniture for every room at reasonable prices. 
Now I have to clean Big T's room so that the new furniture can go in his room.  I hate cleaning!!   I have watched those remodel/un-clutter shows where they take everything out of the room on to the lawn and you have to justify everything that goes back in the house.  I wish I had the nerve to do that.  I think I could get better organized if I did. Right now, I just go through things a little bit at a time and find things the kids do not want or need or cannot wear and donate them or take them to someone that I know that has kids that fit that size or age.  I have two bags of clothes and two pairs of shoes to take to work for one of my co workers.  We are also getting rid of some toys the boys have out grown, that is hard.  They are ready to throw everything out and dear old mom over here has a sentimental attachment to everything.
Sprat and Big T were both into Thomas the tank engine and so we had all of the Thomas the tank stuff and I wanted to keep some of it for possible grand kids, much much later down the road.  They are great wooden trains and the tracks and the books. All of that takes up space and the hubbs and the kids would like to throw it all out and I just cannot bring myself to do that. 

Cap and Gown. . . It's Officially Senior Year. . .

It is official, I have a senior.  Cap and gown ordered and senior portraits taken and this mama is not ready.  I went with Sprat to order everything and to pay for senior pictures.  He, of course, did not want mama over there "helping" him.   Some of my friends that had been through this before told me about the horrible wait and how hot it was sitting all crowded in one little room.  I was ready to wait.  We were running late as par for the course and I just knew we were going to extend our waiting time that much more.  I was very pleasantly surprised, we were second in line behind a set of twins. While Sprat was getting his make shift tux on I went to place the order for cap and gown with nobody in line.  By the time I was done Sprat  was getting out of the make shift tux and getting ready to go outside for his next set of pictures.  I decided he did not require my services any longer and I went on my way.
All in all it was almost painless, except for the fact that my baby is a senior (have I said that before?). Considering Sprat's class is the largest of his high school ever, boasting 350+, they did a great job.  I just hope the pictures will be of good quality, sometimes those school pictures do not turn out well at all.

Then 

Then 

Now  

Growing, Growing, Why???

I do not know what bug this is going around but it is a bad, bad bug. My poor Big T has had it twice, and now the hubbs and I have it.  I have almost rubbed the finish off of my door knobs with Lysol wipes,  and oh the laundry I have done.  Laundry, laundry everywhere. . .  nothing clean to wear.   I am trying to keep Sprat from getting sick due to his severe allergies to antibiotics.  I am trying to keep Big T from getting sick a third time.
Big T was invited to attend a new school in the Fall, it is a STEM program and it will give him an opportunity to try some new things.  Big T is a different kid and marches to his on music, we are going to give this a chance and see where it takes him.  He will still be able to play sports with the high school so he is thrilled with that.  He looks forward to playing lacrosse on the same team as his brother.
It is hard to believe that Big T is finishing his 8th grade year and Sprat is finishing his junior year in high school and in just a few short months I will have a senior and a freshman in high school.  Am I really old enough to have  two high school students, I guess I am, these days I could have two college students.  It just makes me feel really old to think of my babies, one in his last year of high school and one in his first year of high school, to me they are still my precious babies.

This chubby little fella will be a Senior in just a few short months.

This very cute little guy will be a Freshman in those same short months.

We All Have Something to Learn. . .

The boys have started the new semester in school, they each have some class changes.  Big T is taking, what I would call a home economics class.  He will learn to sew, take care of a baby, and cook.  He thought he was going to get off easy and get to take care of a bag of flour but another teacher is in charge of his class and I think they are going to do the mechanical babies.  Yes, you may laugh now, I sure did.  These are the babies that cry and require being held and rocked to sooth them and they cry when they are hungry.  They are intended to simulate an actual baby and all the things baby's require.  This is going to an interesting semester for dear Big T.
Sprat is taking new classes too, he gets to take chemistry along with Spanish 2, math, and history.  He came home last night and had math and history homework.  He does not often come home and do homework, he must complete it most of the time at school.  This is going to be an interesting semester for both of the boys.
I am still working and learning as I go.  This is going to be a learning year for us all and lots of changes for everyone.  The boys are taking on more responsibility, reluctantly of course and the hubbs and I are relinquishing responsibility.  It is fun to watch the boys growing and learning new things but, it is also hard to watch your children not needing you as much.  I think that may be the hardest thing I have to deal with this year, knowing that my boys are not going to need me as much.
Stay tuned as we are all learning this year.

I Can do that, I've Seen Mom do it. . .

I can do that, I have seen my Mom do it a hundred times.  This is the the thought that bounces around in my head right before something goes horribly wrong in the kitchen or anywhere really.  Case and point, I grew up watching my Mom make gravy for Sunday lunch and here come those awful words...  I can do that, I have seen Mom do it a thousand times.   Those were the words that I uttered right before my first attempt at making gravy after my sweet hubby and I were married.   Just because you have seen it done does not mean you can do it.   My first attempt at gravy was very sad and bless my dear hubby for trying to eat what I had made.  We could have spackled the walls with that concoction, it was very sad.  I just knew I could make gravy, like I said, I had seen Mom do it a thousand times at least over the years.  There is an art to making gravy though, I am proud to say that after twenty three years of marriage I have perfected that art.  My first successful gravy was, chip beef and gravy, and it was very good and it was many months after that disastrous attempt.
At my first job after the hubbs and I were married, I was always the first person at the office in the mornings.  My boss asked me, since I was the first one in, if I would start the coffee.  My reply was, sure I can, I have seen my Mom do it plenty of times.  I did not drink coffee at this point and I do not drink it often even now, so I really did not know how to make coffee.   I would not dare tell my boss no, that I could not make coffee.  That first morning for my new task was disastrous as par for the course.  They never asked me to make coffee again.
I told you all that to share another coffee catastrophe at work yesterday.   A new co-worker was asked to make coffee, actually he volunteered to make coffee.  I saw him struggling with the pot so I approached to help out.  I still do not drink much coffee and I do not make coffee at all so I really did not know how to help my co-worker.   There was water coming from everywhere and pouring out on to the counter and we could not get it to stop.  It was the blind leading the blind, but I could not just stand there and let him drown in hot water.  (no pun intended)  After almost half of the water had gushed out he realized he had not put the part that had the coffee grounds back where it belonged.  Once he did that every thing was fine.  We both laughed and he admitted that at home his wife made the coffee and I admitted I did not make coffee at all.
I guess today is a tribute to my Mom and all the things I thought I could do because I had watched her do it a million times.  This should make for some very interesting conversation over Thanksgiving.
What does your Mom do well that you thought you could do just because you watched her do it so many times?

The Things We Do for Our Kids. . .

We went out to eat the other day and I looked across the table at my kids and they are not my little boys any more.  They are young men and very handsome, if I do say so myself.  Sitting there I could not believe how much they have grown up they are practically men.  It made me think back when they were little and all the funny things they did and I did to get them to this  point.  
From the time Sprat was born the hubbs and I would read to him and say prayers for him before bed. When Sprat was almost three he said something about monsters being in his room and that he was afraid to go to sleep.   The hubbs and I read to him and said prayers but Sprat was still concerned about monsters, I got creative and decided to do the banish the monsters dance.  Yes, I am that mom.  The banish the monsters dance went like this; I clapped really loud and shouted in each corner of the room for all of the monsters to get out and stay out of this room.  I would then jump around and clap in a circle and yell "out, out, out."   This always made Sprat laugh, which was the point, so that his last feelings before going to bed were happy.   You have to be silly sometimes, you cannot be a serious parent all of the time.   This worked for the next several years.   The hubbs and I have always made it a point to say prayers with the boys before bed and we still do.  They are in separate rooms now so we do prayers in the living room before they go up for bed.   I am so thankful that they still want to say prayers together.
When Sprat was in elementary school I started knitting.  He saw me knitting one day and asked what I was doing.  I told him I was knitting a prayer shawl and he wanted to know what that was.  I explained that I was praying while I was knitting and that who ever received the shawl would receive my prayers.  Sprat had been struggling with some things in school and asked if he could have one for school.  I giggled just a little but I knew what he really meant.  He wanted something to give him comfort during school.  I crocheted him a bookmark and we tied it in one of his notebooks.  I prayed over that bookmark for him and I told him that when ever he felt bad he could look at that bookmark and know that he was not alone and that I would see him soon.  Big T went through something similar while in elementary school and he also took a crocheted bookmark that we had prayed over with him to school.  I think elementary school is one of the hardest times in the lives of our kids.   I would have done almost anything to give my kids some type of comfort during this time of their little lives.
We are getting ready for final exams and EOG's and EOC's.   I hate all of the  testing and rating of students and teachers.  The hubbs and I do our best to make these days fun and a little less stressful.  I know I have posted about this before but it does need to be shared again.  On days of exams or EOG's  we take the boys out for a good breakfast.  We try to make the day special and not so stressful.  I got this idea from my sister she started this tradition with her girls when they were in school and I thought it was a fabulous idea so when Sprat was in middle school we started the exam day breakfast.  Not sure where we will take the boys to eat this year but we usually let them pick the place.
Living and loving in the little moments of my kids lives.  I am so lucky to have these crazy boys and my crazy husband too.  They get it honest.  

Happy Leap Day. .

I meant to share this yesterday but, you know how Monday goes, we were all over the place.

Four years ago on leap day I had the kids write down what they thought they would be like in four years.  I sealed them in an envelope so we could open them today.  I think I will have them do this again today and speculate what they will be like in four years.  
They both described how they would be physically; taller, more facial hair, and playing sports.  Bless my dear sweet Sprat, he is going to be just like his daddy, the hairless wonder.  According to my hubby, he was a junior in college before he really shaved.  

I would like to get the boys to do this again and maybe put a little more thought into it.   Sprat already said, well in four more years I will not be here.  I am not sure exactly where he thinks he will be.  This will always be his home and I hope he will always come back, at least to visit.  

You want your kids to be independent but then you want them to need you just a little every now and then.  You want them to know that they are loved and always welcome in your home.  The way Sprat talks you would think I am going to change the locks on the doors or maybe even move after they go to college and not tell him where we moved.   You know I am not going to do either of those things.  I did have one friend that her parents did move after she went off to college and the house they moved into did not have a room for her.  My room at my moms still looks the same and so does my sisters and my brothers.  Although my sisters' room does have a baby crib in it now so when we brought the grand-babies they would have a place to sleep.  

I do have plans for the boys rooms when they do leave the nest but I am not rushing them out the door.   I think one of them will become a fabulous library and reading/craft room.   Shhhh!!  please do not tell them.  

What Will I be When I Grow Up????

My classes are now in full gear and Sprat is taking finals for this session.  We are getting our knowledge on, for a good start to 2016.    After visiting with the family over Christmas and talking with my nieces about their future plans, I wonder what my kids will do when they grow up.  I even wonder what I will do when I grow up.   I knew my strengths when I was in high school, I was much better in science than any other class.  I knew when I went to school I would major in a science but I still did not know what I would do when I graduated.   I had hoped to go to Pharmacy school but that did not work out.  I am glad it did not because had I gone to Pharmacy school I would not have met my dear hubby.  We met on my first job out of college in a lab.  God does have a plan for us and nobody will ever convince me otherwise.   I would not change anything in my life at all.  I just wonder what God has in store for my boys.   Right now I do not see anything specific that they are gravitating to more than anything else.  With me it was pretty clear but with these boys, they are so complex and convoluted.   Big T talks about wanting to go to NC State all the time.   Sprat has never talked about a particular college except for the University of Miami.   He did say he would never go to Appalachian State because it was too cold.  He really is his fathers' son, they both hate cold weather.   Big T talks about going into the military too, that kinda scares me especially with this world the way it is.  He wants to fly a helicopter, I am not sure where this comes from but, he has a dream.  I cover these boys in prayer every day to find their passion.  If you do something you love, it never feels like work.

Getting Back to School. . .

Is everyone ready for the kiddos to be back in school?  It is bitter sweet at my house.  My kids keep getting older despite my attempts to keep them my little ones.   I am excited for them to get back in their routine so that I can return to my routine.   I do crave my routine.
Big T will be in 7th grade and Sprat will be in 10th.  Ughhhh!!!!  I hate saying that, I do not feel I am old enough to have a 10th grader.  I still wish I was a MOP (mother of preschooler).  Those days were such fun, I wish I had relished in them a little more.  To all of you MOP's, enjoy those little guys for as long as you can because they morph so quickly into aliens/teenagers.   Just when they get interesting and you can actually carry on a conversation with them they think it is torture to be in the same room with you.  We fight this one daily.  I think they have this misconception that they are supposed to be aggravated with their parents, that it is some kind of rule or something.  Every now and then when we are all together enjoying our time as a family I see a glimpse of them having fun.  You must be careful not to draw attention to it though because they will clam up and retreat to that angry teenager mode again.  You must secretly enjoy those little moments.  I am trying to take advantage of every moment I can to be with the boys because soon GIRLS will come into this picture.  I know this is inevitable but I get a pain in my gut every time I think about it.  So far we have dodged the bullet with them both.  I hope they take after their daddy and do not date until college.  I think Big T is the ladies man, he is the one that had the little girls buying him pudding last year at school.   Girls are so forward these days, I know this is off of my topic, so I will save this one for another day.
As for today, I will cherish every little bit of time I have with my kiddos.

Should be a Semi-Normal Week. . .

Sprat is home after being away for two weeks at camps and I hope we can get back to normal.  Normal is subjective at our house.   My house is like a three ring circus and when we come out of the house  it is like a volcanic eruption. 
I hope at some point my boys learn how great it is to have a sibling and how blessed they are to have each other.
Sprat came home with wild tales of mission camp and how much fun they had.  Big T started leadership camp today and, to see him get off the bus with a huge grin is priceless.  He had a lot of fun and has this whole week  of learning ahead of him at our community college.   Sprat is back eyeball deep in football again and I guess until the season is over.  

I get a little nostalgic every year about this time, thinking about school starting back and the kids progressing along.  Every tick of the clock is another step closer to them making their way in this world and being on their own.  We want them to be on their own but it is hard to let go.  We want them to be happy, healthy, and successful in whatever they choose to do.  

Family Funnies. . . Mom Babbles. . .

I got my Mother's Day gift on Monday.  My hubby never gives me gifts early, NEVER.  He decided to celebrate on Monday since our weekend would be all about baseball.  We went out to eat at a favorite little place we all enjoy as a family and he gave me a beautiful amethyst necklace to wear that night.  He was very pleased with what he had picked out, as was I.  I was a little surprised  since he had not had the opportunity to do any shopping since he fell.   I am very surprised he gave it to me early, he never does that.   He prides himself on making me wait for gifts, he loves to tease me with them.  Needless to say, he surprised me all the way around.  My family drives me crazy but, I do love them dearly.  

The hubbs is getting around better now, my classes are over, and I feel much more relaxed.  Now to get my house cleaned up and back to somewhat normal.  It is funny how a house can get turned completely upside down is such a short time.   Mine is most definitely upside down.   The kids rooms are staying more organized in fact, Big T went to his room last night because he said he wanted to organize his things.  I had to laugh because that is one thing our family is not, we are not organized at all.   You can all breathe a sigh of relief he is not sick, he was organizing his toys.  He has a table in his room that he has all of his army men set up on in a battle.  He was re-arranging them in a new battle.  

My husband was telling the boys stories of his youth and how he used to play when he was growing up.  He told them about how he and his friends would set up battles with their army men and throw rocks at them and shoot them with a bb gun.  How he would strap them to bottle rockets and send them flying.   Big T piped up and said, that is why the army men at memaws' have holes in them and have burn marks.  I had heard most of the stories, the kids were amazed at their daddy and how he could occupy his time.   I had to laugh, this is where our dinner conversations go some nights.  

Big T has been going through "family life" at school during health class.  This is the class where they learn more in depth about the birds and the bees.   He has not said a whole lot about the class.  I picked him up at school the other day, and when he got in the car I asked him how his day was just like I do every day.  His reply is what threw me.  He said, mom I feel so sorry for one of my friends.  He seemed very sad about what ever the friend was going through.  I said, I am sorry what is going on?  I was expecting maybe they had experienced a death in the family or something.  Big T replied, my friend (Sue) got her period.  I am so glad I was at a stop sign when he said that, I just about fell out.  I said, do what?  He repeated that she had gotten her period.  I said, how do you know about that?  He simply said, I have taken "family life" mom, I know all about it.  By this time we were home and getting out of the car.  He hugged me and kissed me on the cheek and said, "I am sorry you had to go through that mom."   Gotta love that kid.  He will make some young lady a great husband some day, some day far in the future.  

Hang on and stay tuned, raising these boys is going to be very interesting.  

Teenagers. . .

We celebrated Big T's birthday yesterday at the Super Bowl party.  In another year I will be the mother of two teenage boys, oh my goodness.  Time does march on, whether we want it to or not.   I remember being a new mother, a mother of a preschooler, and a mother of elementary boys.  Time is going by at warp speed, I blinked and now my dear precious babies are growing up.   You want them to grow up but, then again, you want them to be your babies again.   I remember sitting with them laying on my chest sound asleep.   They were so tiny and fragile and they smelled so good.

The top picture is Big T only a week old and the bottom picture is Sprat at about six months old. 

Now they are stinky, grouchy, gruff almost men.   No matter what stage of motherhood you are in, love your babies, they are your babies no matter what their age.  Love them and remind them often of where they came from, that they are a part of you.  

Thinking Creatively. . .

Today Big T had school as did I but, Sprat was out due to exams.  Mom must get creative especially since hubby has been out of town all week, headed home this evening.   I decided Sprat would go with me to school.  I did not want to leave him at home  alone and I thought it would be a good chance for him to check out a college campus.  I know it is just a two year college but he has to start somewhere.   I also thought he should know how my day goes when I go to school.   There are kids only a year older than him in my class, they are in early college.  It is kind of weird being in class with kids that are young enough to be my own.   Most days it does not bother me, today I was a little bothered.  I guess I am just wondering what is the rush in growing up these days.   As it is the youth today are all doing things two to three times earlier than I ever did and now we want them to go to college quickly so they can face the yuck of finding a job and going to work.  Why can't they just be kids a little longer?  Many of the kids in my classes  will graduate high school with not only their high school diploma but an Associates in something through early college.   Are they really ready for that?  Are they ready at that age to face the drudgery of work?   I guess I want my kids to enjoy being a kid and to enjoy college life, not to the extent that they neglect their grades or do something stupid and mess up their life but have some fun.  They have their whole lives to work, why not enjoy being young and free.   I am sure some of you probably think I am out of my mind and that is alright, maybe I am.   I just know that these kids are not really ready to face the work world, they need to experience a little more life first.   There is a bigger push now to test out of certain subjects by demonstrated mastery.   This may seem like a good idea on paper, the kids do not take a class they already know and end up being bored out of their minds.   What next, what will they take if they test out of a couple things, or do you end up sending them to college two years early.  I know from my kids that mine are not emotionally able to handle that kind of responsibility.   

Think about when you were in college, you did not have to attend class if you did not want to, the professors never nagged you about homework.   They told you one time when assignments were due and it was your responsibility to make sure that it was done on time.  Yes, there is a marvelous little bit of technology called Blackboard that allows you to keep up with your assignments but you still have to check in with it, it does not check in with you.  

I know I have blathered on again, but this was on my mind today.  I would love to know what you are thinking.  Here is the question:  Are we rushing our kids to grow up too fast?  

My babies are not babies anymore. . .

I am feeling old and confused.   My oldest has only three more years before he will be off to college,  the youngest is in middle school.  Sprat has his permit and is driving occasionally.   I was a home body when I was younger.  I went out with my friends but I also did things with the family.   I guess I am afraid once he gets his license he will be gone and we won't ever see him again.   Big T may never leave home.  He is his mama's boy.  I see so much of myself in T, that is really scary.  I have apologized numerous times to both my mom and dad.  I must have been a nightmare.  I know I tested their patience.   Very thankful for understanding parents.  

As a mom you hope that you have instilled family values in your kids and that they will want to spend time with you.  You want so much for them to grow and be independent but I guess you want them to always need you, just a little.  They are just starting to get interesting and now they think they are too cool for you.  I guess you would not be a good parent if you didn't worry just a little about how they are going to turn out.  I pray daily for them and that they will grow into the people God intended.  I just hope I have not messed them up along the way. 
 

Birthday week. . .

This week is Sprats' birthday and he is having a birthday week.  I was in college before I celebrated my birthday for a week.   Any who, we went to dinner on Monday so Sprat could have his favorite fish-n-chips and Tiramisu cake.   Yesterday he got to open one gift and had more cake.  He got socks.  Heeheeheehee  Thursday he will be starting again on the offensive line.  He will really celebrate this weekened when he gets his driving permit.  I will probably be locked in a paded room somewhere.  We will celebrate with family over the weekend.  Not sure I am going to be able to take all the cake that goes with all this celebrating.    So many great things happening in my sweet boys life.   Praying I can survive these teenage years.

These babies grow so fast. . .

I think I am having a mid-life crisis.  I know I said that earlier and this may be my theme for this year.   My oldest is getting ready to turn 15 and will get his permit.  He plays football on the JV team and seems to be doing well.  I hardly see him during the week because of school and practice.   He really is growing up, how could I have let this happen.  I still see those chipmunk cheeks and that toothy grin.
Big T is also growing in to his own this year in middle school.  He seems to be adjusting to changing classes too.  He is quite excited about his technology class and he really likes his teacher.   They are working in robotics and rockets. 
This is going to be a crazy year.  Imagine if I am this bad now,  how bad I will be when they graduate.  Just be ready  for a lot of sappy, crazy, and goofy mom stories.

Only Four Years to go. . .

My dear oldest starts high school in a few weeks and in four years will be headed to college.   Time has flown by,  it seems like yesterday I was preparing him for kindergarten.   This will probably be my theme this year.   I only have four more years and my baby will be gone to his next adventure. 
The boys have always had savings accounts, even as babies they had savings accounts.  Anytime they received money from relatives it went to their savings.  I always joked that grandma and grandpa had to pay to see their grandbabies.  A dollar here and there along with spare change does add up.   Now that Sprat is approaching the driving age he will need a checking account.   That is next on our list for this year and again proves that he is growing up.  
Big T is also going to have big changes this year.  He starts middle school this year and this will be his last year for Saturday football.  It will also be his last year for his dad to coach him in football.  I think my dear hubby is taking that one hard.  He loves football  and has enjoyed working with the kids.  He also has enjoyed watching those young men that he coached when Sprat played, now playing at the high school level. 
The boys are each taking giant steps this year.  Stay tuned. . .

Only Four Years Left. . .

Oh my goodness!! I only have four years left with my sweet Sprat before he will be heading off to college.  Yikes!!!! So much to do.  Where do I start?
I feel a little crazy right now.  His days are going to be so busy these next years.  School,  football,  and maybe even girls.  Where has all of my mommy time gone?  I feel like there is so much I need to teach him about dealing with peer pressure,  drugs, alcohol,  driving, and girls.   This is not to say that we have not touched on these subjects because we have.
I guess I am just worried I am going to forget to tell him something important.   I want to spend as much time with him as I can and of course no teenage boy wants that.  Oh,  if I could turn back the clock just a little or just revist those special little moments.   Like, when he took his first step,  learning to talk,  playing baseball for the first time, or his first day of school.  I know I have pictures of all of these special times and I will cherish them. 
It just seems like yesterday all of these things took place and now he is a freshman in high school.  Wow!!!