Growing Up is a Hard Thing

They say if you repeat the same thing that after 21 days it becomes a habit. Well, for 2 1/2 years E has referred to his big brother as "Bubba". We all took to that nickname and made it his "go to" name. Now in the blink of an eye, E calls him by his first name (albeit without the "r"). For 3 1/2 years I've dressed and undressed E every day of his life. Now, in the blink of an eye, he can change himself independently. For 2 years he's sat in a booster seat at the table for meal times. Now in the blink of an eye he no longer wants to sit in one because it's a "baby chair". He wants to grow up so fast and I, being selfish, want time to stand still. He has become so independent and when I tried to help him with something the other day he said, "Mom, I do it." To which I replied, "Sometimes it's nice to know you still need my help." One boy is turning 7 and the other acts as old, meaning both are needing me less and less. Yes, they still need me to bandage scrapes, tie shoes, do laundry and fix meals. But they no longer need me for the little things such as taking a bath or brushing teeth or getting them a snack. It's bittersweet to see the fruits of our labor flourish, making our boys more independent. But, on the other hand, it breaks my heart to see them growing up right before our eyes. I want to forever shield them from the world, making them stay young a lot longer than possible. As a parent, growing up is hard to do!