Passages - sometimes I don't like them...

Today is the annual fall fair in our town.

For years on end, the kids would start begging to go weeks ahead, their whole summer sure to be ruined if we didn't take them.

My 14 year old daughter just called from her friends asking us if we could pick her up, but she doesn't want to go to the fair, too tired from staying up too late with her friend.

My 17 year old son, who can take himself if he wants to now, isn't going.

The only one who really wants to go is my 9 year old daughter.

It's the same with the parks. I used to say no far too often, now I ask them and get disappointed because they don't want to.

It's the same with the play area at McDonalds, we used to go drive through too often, now they are too big even if they had a passing interest.

In some ways older kids are awesome, this summer the house stayed reasonably presentable with thier help, I can sit down and watch a movie most times without having to run to someone's aid (I remember well never being able to watch a whole movie or even listen to a full song all the way through without being interrupted).

My 14 year old showed me how to apply make up (I thought I knew but her method really is better!) My son routinely shows me up and is the go to guy if I need anything put together.

But sometimes, I miss their little selves.

They really do grow up.

Really.

Update: the little boy on the left is 20 and trying to get into the army, the little boy on my knee is now 17 and just got back from picking up my daughter who isn't even in the picture (there are 3 kids in the "clan" not even born yet in this picture), the little girl beside me - far right - is 22 and works for me, she helped me to put together the Take 5 Bootcamp for Dustbunnies series, and I now have just as much grey hair as brown - and my sister on the left - the tired one :0) who is the proud owner of 4 of the kids in the picture (one more came along later) is 40.