Kids grow up (even if you stack books on their heads*)

They really love camo. For all occasions

My sons, affectionately referred to as the Weasley Twins, are in the eighth grade--high school course selection has already started. Through church they're taking OWL (Our Whole Lives, the uber-comprehensive sexuality education course) and they are in Coming of Age (UU version of confirmation) as well. It's like they are growing up or something.

Part of the growing up piece is taking little jaunts away from the nest. They were at a church retreat last weekend, and are gone all this weekend for a school thing. They go to school early, and some days stay late. And on unscheduled days they might leave for hours at a time- hanging out with friends or riding bikes for ever-increasing distances.

In the early days of parenting, my spouse and I had next to no time for just the two of us. At first, a date required too many logistics--sometimes two sitters! And the Weasleys were not especially known for a love of sleep, so time after bedtime? Well, we'll just say that some nights (and afternoons!) I fell asleep before they did. These days not only are the kiddos gone a fair amount, but they are happy to hold down the fort while we head out for a hot suburban date. (True story then and now--an alarming proportion of our dates involve a trip to the grocery store. These days, though, we don't run into the babysitter's parents in the dairy aisle.)

Texas children must be photographed in fields of
bluebonnets.No one knows why. Just do it.

In the early days of parenting, I almost could not remember what silence was. Even just a year ago, I was glad to have a Monday Sabbath, because I was guaranteed a day at home by myself--I would get irate that so many school holidays fell on Mondays... But now there is plenty of time for quiet. And it will take a few years before I will be sad about that.

My mother claims that the first real AH-HA! she had when we'd all finally left the nest was that she could leave something on the counter, go to work, and when she came home that evening, the item would still be in the same place.  I am tempted to try this over the weekend. But my spouse would put the thing away, or more likely, holler out, "Where does this live?"

And that would break the silence.


*No, don't put books on their heads. Read the books. Or use the books to flatten the important forms the kids forgot at the bottom of their backpacks. Not that that ever happens...