STOP!

One month from today my kids go back to school.

I'm not ready!

Summer just started.

They're growing up too fast.

My oldest (13) left for Boy Scout summer camp this morning. He never looked back.

My youngest, (almost 11) won't hold my hand in public anymore.

This mama's heart breaks over the passage of time.

A week ago I turned 48.

I look in the mirror and hardly recognize the face staring back at me.

It scares me how fast time is going.

I want it to stop. I want to hold my babies and know our future is ahead of us, that we have all the time in the world to chase fireflies, do belly flops at the pool, and to skip down the street hand in hand.

But time doesn't stand still.

My oldest is so strong, independent, confident and comfortable in his skin.

My youngest is hilarious, adorable, scary smart. The President of his school's student government for God's sake!

My role in their lives is changing.

My husband, their father, is their parent of choice these days.

Who does that make me?

What does that leave me?

What place will I have in their lives when they are gone?

I feel them slipping away............

And I am afraid.

Boom Chuka Luka!

Well if you've ever been to a Cub Scout camp then you may be familiar with the "Boom Chuka Luka" cheer all scouters know! Wish me luck tomorrow because my whole family will be starting an all week day camp and I'm my ten year old's den leader for the week!

The kids love it! BB's, archery, crafts, fishing, science, nature and scout skills! It doesn't get any better than that for the kids!

Wish me luck!

Testosterone and Fireworks

I don't think one exists without the other.

Think about it, how many of you went out and bought fireworks for the family to set off on the 4th of July? I didn't, and none of my female friends did, but all of the men I know did!

Now, don't get me wrong, I love fireworks. There's nothing better than sitting out on a beautiful July evening, with the family and some good friends watching a professional fireworks show. What I'm not too crazy about is a bunch of husbands, setting off fireworks in the backyard!

Moms tend to be a little (okay, way, more) cautious than dads. If I had my way, my kids would be a good 50 yards away from the person who is lighting the cherry bombs, bottle rockets, M-80's, and such. But that doesn't happen in my house. My husband thinks the kids (future men, which means future fireworks purchasers) are perfectly safe just behind his shoulder, watching, learning life's pyrotechnic lessons.
He thinks I'm a "little crazy" when it comes to worrying that one of them will get hurt.

My 10 year old, told me "Not to worry. We're men. We know what we're doing!"
Yea, right.
Well excuse me for not being comforted by the proclamation of a boy eight years away from being old enough to legally purchase fireworks!

So, as my friend Laurie and I tried to steer the kids away from the fireworks our husbands were eagerly setting off, it dawned on me.
If there's testosterone involved, there's going to be fireworks.
I might as well get used to it and just pray that no one gets hurt.
It's what men do.
(And fortunately, no one did get hurt!)


(Photo Courtesy of Mrs. Gemstone. www.flickr.com)

Is Chivalry Dead?

I've had a slow leak in one of my tires for a week or so.

Yesterday I drove to my neighborhood service station to fill it up with air. I pulled up to the air pump, hopped out of the car and got busy taking off the cap and checking the tire's pressure.

That's when I noticed the station's three technicians standing there.

Watching me.

Not one of them offered to help.

They're automobile technicians!

I go to that gas station all of the time!

Sure, I can fill a tire myself, but they work there! I expected one of them, just one, to offer to help.

It surprised me.

It made me sad to think chivalry is dead.

It made me go home and have a conversation with my two sons.

Another life lesson to teach. Another opportunity to teach my boys what would have been the kind, helpful thing to do for a woman.

The chivalrous thing to do.

I hope they listened to me.

Time will tell.