No Place for the Pictures: My Freshman Boy All Grown Up?

Years ago, I bought one of those cute frames from Pottery Barn Kids. I'm sure you've seen them, they are divided into 9 separate squares--one for each year of school, kindergarten through 8th grade.

I'm feeling this sudden sense of sadness. My freshman's class photos arrived today, and I have no more squares left in his frame. His little smiling face changes from toddler, to boy to, gasp, man-like in these little squares. Now I am left holding his little 3x5 photo for the first time with no place for it to go.

For a split second, I think about buying a second frame. Then my thoughts jumped to just where my not so little boy might be 9 years from now. Of course, thinking I will have 3x5s of my child until he is well out of college is a little crazy, but who decides that I only get to capture his school picture until he's an 8th grader?

What's That Thing On Your Header?

I've been asked what that thing on my header is.  If you look closely, it's a footprint in the cement on our sidewalk.  I don't know who made this print or when, but we pass it every day.

In the spring, it is often filled with water after a rain.  In the summer, sometimes we find little blossoms that have dropped off the trees into the print.  In the fall, little crispy leaves fill it's shape. There is hardly a time we fail to notice this little impression.

We've been in our home 5 years now.  All three of my kids have measured their feet in this print.  Last summer, Birk finally put her foot in and like Cinderella, "It fits!"  She was so excited, but I felt a little sad.

All three kids have grown out of the print.  It kind of marks the passage of an era.  It seems like every day used to be full of firsts, but more often than not, I'm having a lot of days marked by lasts.  I know it's one of the  bittersweet qualities of life, but I sure am going to miss the pitter patter of little feet.

What Are My Kids Learning At School?

My first grader, Birk, was in her booster.  I was driving the good old mini van and we were heading home from school

.

"Mommy, do you know about abortions?"

Whoosh, almost hit a tree.  I had to focus my eyes back on my little baby cupcake and try to figure out where all of this was coming from.

Luckily, Ruth piped in with just the right big sister question.  "Do you know what that means, Birk?"

I was holding my breath and trying not to take out any inanimate objects, or animate ones for that matter.

"It's when a mommy and daddy fight a lot and they don't want to live together anymore.  Then they get an abortion and they can marry someone else."

I finally found my voice again, "That's enough.  We will discuss this all later."  Luckily we were home and it was time to jump out of the car and have dinner.  Hope later is far off in my future.